《Endless Fall》 Chapter 1 Can You Be More Understanding? Rain continued to fall in Lin City in July. Silver lightning shed across the dark clouds, and with a thunderp, bean-sized raindrops hit the car parked at the roadside. Lin Jiao wiped her shoulder that was wet from the rain and listened quietly to Gu Quan having a phone call in the driver¡¯s seat. From what he said over the phone, she knew that their date today would be canceled. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m sorry.¡± As expected¡­ Gu Quan hung up the phone and rubbed his eyebrows. ¡°There¡¯s something urgent at thepany. I have to go over.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Lin Jiao restrained from showing her emotions. She had been in love with Gu Quan for two years. Ever since he entered the Gu Corp, he spent less and less time with her. Even if they lived under the same roof, the chances of them meeting were rare. She understood that he was busy, but understanding did not mean that she would not be disappointed and sad. ¡°Are you angry?¡± Gu Quan rubbed the top of her head, his handsome face filled with gentleness. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Do you want me to drive you home?¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°No need.¡± She looked at the mall not far away and opened WeChat. ¡°Yn is avable. I¡¯ll get her to keep mepany.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Quan did not stop her and stuffed a card into her hand. ¡°Buy anything you like. I¡¯ll pick you up at eight.¡± ¡°I have money.¡± Lin Jiao held the cold bank card and felt even sadder. Gu Quan thought she was angry with him. He said, ¡°Jiaojiao, can you be more understanding?¡± The atmosphere suddenly became tense. Lin Jiao was about to retort when she saw the exhausted look on his face and she swallowed back down her words. She reached out to touch his cheek and leaned forward to hug him. ¡°Be a good girl.¡± Her obedience melted Gu Quan¡¯s heart. He couldn¡¯t help but promise again, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the exhibition this weekend.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes, the project I¡¯m working on is almost over.¡± Lin Jiao was looking forward to the weekend. She moved away from his arms and smiled. ¡°Then go. Don¡¯t forget to eat no matter how busy you are.¡± Gu Quan replied softly, ¡°Take the card.¡± He was too stubborn, so Lin Jiao could only ept it. She opened her umbre and walked towards the mall. As she walked, the mud that sshed up left stains at the corner of her dress. Lin Jiao had always been a clean freak. She stopped in front of the ss door and wiped the stains off her dress gently with a tissue. Just as she was about to get up, she was enveloped by a shadow. ¡°Jiaojiao!¡± A familiar voice sounded. Lin Jiao was taken aback and looked up to see a smiling face. Pei Yn held her forearm and pinched her left cheek with her other hand. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see you shopping. What do you want to buy?¡± ¡°A pair of business suits, I think.¡± ¡°You found a job?¡± ¡°I just received two offers yesterday.¡± Lin Jiao threw the dirty tissue into the trash can. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought of which I should ept.¡± ¡°Which two? I¡¯ll help you figure it out.¡± ¡°Sheng Heng and Tian Hua.¡± ¡°Sheng Heng?¡± Pei Yn¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s my uncle¡¯spany. I¡¯m going over next Monday too.¡± ¡°Pei Zhi?¡± Lin Jiao did not expect such a coincidence. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Yn blinked. ¡°Choose Sheng Heng. I won¡¯t feel so bored working there with you around.¡± Lin Jiao was silent for a moment before replying, ¡°Okay.¡± She stepped onto the esctor and chatted with her along the way. Perhaps because of the rain, there were not many customers in the women¡¯s section. Even the high-end luxury brands that always had a long queue in the past only had a shopping guide standing at the door. This allowed them to shop in peace. Pei Yn wanted to take Lin Jiao to buy suits first, but as she walked, her attention was attracted by the evening gown in the window. She told the shop assistant to bring over the evening gown. While waiting, Pei Yn said to Lin Jiao, ¡°Jiaojiao, that evening gown suits you!¡± Lin Jiao was a dropping-dead-gorgeous. However, in order to meet Gu Quan¡¯s taste, she always dressed extremely inly. ¡°Me?¡± Lin Jiao looked at the evening gown brought over by the shop assistant and said calmly, ¡°I already have three gowns like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. Go and try it first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually attend banquets. It¡¯ll just be a waste of money. Forget it.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao¡­¡± ¡°I want this one.¡± A delicate-looking woman walked over arrogantly and pointed at the gown in their hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, these twodies are still shopping. Please wait at the side.¡± He Jia was immediately pissed off, but she could not snatch the gown from them. She secretly sized up the two girls who were dressed simply. On instinct, she felt that they could not afford it. Therefore, she suggested, ¡°I like this gown very much. Why don¡¯t you choose another one and I¡¯ll pay for it?¡± ¡°No, thank you.¡± ¡°You can choose one and sell it afterwards to earn as much as 50,000 to 60,000 yuan. Are you sure you don¡¯t want it?¡± Lin Jiao caught the disdain in her eyes and did not intend to argue with her. She turned to ask the shop assistant, ¡°Is there a limited edition?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The shop assistant took out two gowns and ced them on the table with an extremely good attitude. ¡°These two gowns are both made by hand. After measuring your body, the headquarters will send someone over to tailor it. It will be ready for pick-up in about 15 days.¡± These two limited-edition gowns had a cute style and suited Pei Yn. Lin Jiao picked up the champagne-colored fishtail gown and said, ¡°Yn, do you like it?¡± ¡°I like it.¡± She lifted the hem of her dress and nced at He Jia in disdain. ¡°You have good taste.¡± ¡°Then go to measure your body.¡± Seeing her leave with the shop assistant, He Jia could only swallow her anger. She looked at Lin Jiao and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask about the price of that gown?¡± ¡°Does it matter?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to afford it.¡± Lin Jiao chuckled. ¡°Whether I can afford it or not is my business.¡± As she spoke, she walked straight to the cashier to pay. He Jia still did not want to believe that her judgment about Lin Jiao was wrong. She went to the cashier and reminded Lin Jiao ¡®kindly¡¯, ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself. Credit card is an endless hole.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lin Jiao opened her wallet and brushed her fingertips across the card slot. She took out a tinum savings card. ¡°I haven¡¯t used this one yet.¡± He Jia was speechless. She watched as Lin Jiao swiped 170,000 without even batting an eye. She felt like her face had been pped by someone. It was painful and embarrassing. When it was her turn to pay, she was too embarrassed to touch the credit card. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m done measuring my body.¡± Pei Yn jogged over from the fitting room and nced at He Jia. ¡°How much is that gown?¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Eighty thousand, perhaps?¡± ¡°No wonder you don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s too cheap.¡± He Jia was gritting her teeth with anger. Chapter 2 Hate People Who Compare She took the shopping bag handed over by the shop assistant and left in embarrassment. ¡°What took you so long?¡± He Qi, who was waiting for her in the smoking area, saw hering and stood up impatiently. ¡°They¡¯re all rushing us.¡± ¡°I met two annoying people.¡± ¡°Did you quarrel with someone?¡± ¡°No.¡± He Jia told him what happened and did not mention anything about what she had done wrong. He Qi frowned. ¡°This is Lin City. Think twice before you do something. Don¡¯t offend anyone and get me into trouble.¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°It better be so.¡± He Jia followed him out. Coincidentally, she met Lin Jiao and the other girl on the esctor again. She stopped in her tracks, not wanting to face them. He Qi sensed something abnormal and followed her gaze. ¡°Are they the people who quarreled with you?¡± ¡°You know them?¡± ¡°The one on the left is my friend¡¯s girlfriend.¡± He Jia widened her eyes and said sourly, ¡°Is her family very rich? I think she¡¯s quite generous. She bought a super expensive gown for her friend.¡± ¡°Rich? She¡¯s dead broke, but she is patronized by a rich man.¡± ¡°What? If I knew it, I would have given her a p on the face.¡± He Qi retracted his gaze and rolled his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you give her a lesson.¡± ¡°How?¡± He Jia restrained from showing excitement and said worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t go out of your way to do it. After all, you know each other.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be hard. Just a phone call will do.¡± Although he did not like He Jia, his vain cousin, he hated Lin Jiao more. Since she wanted to be so high-profile, he would take this chance to let Gu Quan see what kind of a person she really was. * At nearly ten o¡¯clock, half the lights in the mall went out. The off-duty employees walked in groups of two or three, dragging their tired bodies out and saying goodbye at the door. Pei Yn held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Is Gu Quan noting? If not, I¡¯ll send you back.¡± ¡°He¡¯s on his way.¡± ¡°He said he would pick you up at eight, but he has already beente for two hours. You¡¯re really good-tempered. If I were you, I would have gone into a rage long ago.¡± ¡°He just epted a project and is very busy.¡± Lin Jiao looked at the WeChat box on the screen, deep in thought. ¡°If he¡¯s so busy, why is he dating you? Why doesn¡¯t he just date his work?¡± Lin Jiao said nothing. She had made excuses for Gu Quan¡¯s unconcern for her too many times, to the point where she was tired of it. ¡°Sit here for a while.¡± Pei Yn nudged her elbow and changed the topic. ¡°Are you free tomorrow? Let¡¯s go for a drink.¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°I have a birthday party tomorrow.¡± ¡°Whose birthday?¡± ¡°Song Zhen.¡± Hearing that it was someone from Gu Quan¡¯s circle, Pei Yn lost interest and clicked her tongue. ¡°I thought it was some handsome guy.¡± ¡°You want to fall in love?¡± ¡°No, I just want to find a man to have fun with.¡± ¡°Are you still in contact with that painter called Ze something?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s too straight.¡± Pei Yn felt ufortable at the thought of those awkward conversations. ¡°We just don¡¯t click.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± A BMW came into view, and Gu Quan¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°He¡¯s finally here.¡± Pei Yn rolled her eyes and took out her car keys from her bag. ¡°Jiaojiao, let¡¯s hang out another day.¡± ¡°Alright, send me a message when you get home.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lin Jiao watched her leave before getting into the car. She ced the shopping bag in the back seat and was stunned to find Gu Quan absent-minded. ¡°Gu Quan?¡± She waved her hand in front of his eyes. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Gu Quan returned to his senses, but what He Qi said was still ringing in his ears. He looked at the back seat. ¡°Did you have a good time shopping today?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Did you get into any trouble?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao did not hear the questioning tone in his voice and thought that he was concerned about her. She leaned over and looked at him gently. ¡°With you around, who dares to cause me trouble?¡± Little did she know that this joke would be taken as a confirmation that she indeed snatched a gown from someone else. Gu Quan¡¯s expression turned even uglier. He stepped on the elerator. Lin Jiao, who had yet to put on her seatbelt, fell back uncontrobly and hit the back of her head on the window. ¡°Jiaojiao, I hate people who like topare.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s angry tone filled with disgust made Lin Jiao, who was rubbing the back of her head, confused. She closed her eyes and was in too much pain to think about what he meant by saying that. ¡°Who offended you?¡± She asked. Hearing that her voice sounded weak, Gu Quan tilted his head to look at her and asked with concern, ¡°Are you alright? ¡± ¡°I hit my head.¡± He suddenly braked. Caught off guard, Lin Jiao leaned forward again. Fortunately, he held her waist to prevent her from hitting the window. ¡°Let me see.¡± He leaned over and brushed away her hair, touching the spot where she¡¯d been hit. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Lin Jiao gestured for him to continue driving. She put on her seatbelt and waited for the car to drive into Lufu Bay before the pain disappeared. ¡°Did you quarrel with He Qi?¡± Gu Quan stopped in his tracks. ¡°Yes.¡± He opened the door of the vi and did not want to talk about it anymore. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. Don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± Lin Jiao nodded and pressed the switch to turn on the ceiling light. She changed into a pair of slippers and was about to talk to him when he went upstairs without looking back. ¡°Jiaojiao, help me cook a bowl of noodles.¡± ¡°What kind of noodles do you want?¡± ¡°...¡± It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Without getting a reply, Lin Jiao walked into the kitchen listlessly. Ten minutester, she stood in front of Gu Quan¡¯s door with a tray and knocked twice. ¡°Put it on the table for me.¡± The sound of rushing water was heard, mixed with his voice. Lin Jiao pushed open the door and her gazended on the sofa filled with documents. She put down the bowl and chopsticks and started helping him tidy up. She rarely entered Gu Quan¡¯s bedroom. To outsiders, they were cohabitating. But in fact, they were more like two roommates living under the same roof. If it wasn¡¯t necessary, they wouldn¡¯t talk and interfere with each other. The rtionship had been pure and no one ever thought about crossing the line. ¡°Jiaojiao?¡± Gu Quan did not hear any footsteps outside and asked, ¡°Are you still there?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao turned around. An old photo floated to the ground from inside a stack of documents. She lowered her eyes and caught sight of a young man and a girl. Gu Quan wiped the water off his forehead and said gently, ¡°It¡¯ste. Rest early.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the photo and put it back without thinking much. She nced at the vaporing out from the bathroom and stood up to leave. Chapter 3 Lin Jiao Is Good, But She Can¡¯t Rece Her Song Zhen¡¯s birthday party was held at Bo Yu Club. This ce was frequently visited by rich young people of Lin City. There were all kinds of entertainment one could think of. In the private room on the second floor, a group of men and women were sitting at the table and ying games. Theughter and music were mixed together, making it very noisy. They looked up as the door was pushed open. Many people looked over at the same time, but Lin Jiao only had eyes for the man who told her twenty minutes ago that he was still working overtime. The light and shadow blurred his handsome side profile. He was smiling, but no one could see the emotions hidden underneath that pair of eyes. ¡°Jiaojiao,e here.¡± Gu Quan motioned her toe over. He put his arm around her waist and did not exin why he told her he was working overtime over the phone. ¡°Is it still raining outside?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao took a moment to suppress the feeling of frustration. Then, she took out a birthday gift from her bag and handed it to Song Zhen. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± ¡°Sister Jiao is the best.¡± Song Zhen smiled and nced at Gu Quan. ¡°Unlike some people whoe without bringing anything.¡± Gu Quan chuckled. ¡°Cut that crap.¡± He looked at the wine on the table. ¡°It¡¯s me who brought this wine. Do you have any idea how much it costs?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink. I just ate cephalosporin.¡± ¡°Do you think I can be fooled that easily?¡± ¡°No, no.¡± Song Zhen took a deep breath and finished the ss of wine. ¡°If I pass out, you have to carry me to the hospital.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Gu Quan filled his cup again. After a while, the bottle was empty. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want some mango?¡± Gu Quan forked a piece of mango and put it in Lin Jiao¡¯s mouth. Mangoes were very sweet in this season. However, Lin Jiao pushed away the mango without asking him if he remembered she was allergic to mango. ¡°I ate too much tonight.¡± ¡°I have some digestive pills here.¡± Song Zhen took out a pill bottle from his pocket. ¡°You¡¯ll feel better after taking three pills.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Jiao nced at the pills and swallowed them down in one go. ¡°Song Zhen, do you want to continue?¡± Gu Quan shook his ss, not sensing anything wrong with Lin Jiao. ¡°Wait for He Qi.¡± ¡°How soon will he be here?¡± ¡°Another ten minutes.¡± Song Zhen picked up the dice. ¡°Sister Jiao, let¡¯s y two rounds?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not very good at it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not difficult.¡± Lin Jiao held the dice cup and leaned forward. A few strands of long hair brushed against the back of Gu Quan¡¯s hand, making it itch slightly. He instinctively leaned toward her. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ying dice required a certain amount of luck. Even if Lin Jiao learned it, she would inevitably lose a few rounds. She wiped the wine off her lips. When she saw the lipstick stain on the tissue, she got up. ¡°Gu Quan, I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Quan shifted back to make it easier for her to go out. ¡°The washroom is at the end of the corridor.¡± Lin Jiao nodded and opened the door to leave. Not long after she left, He Qi appeared in the private room. After greeting the group of people, he sat beside Gu Quan. ¡°Brother Quan, isn¡¯t your sidekick here?¡± ¡°Sidekick¡± was the nickname they gave Lin Jiao. ¡°Don¡¯t call her that.¡± Gu Quan looked up and red at him, but his tone did not sound angry. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just used to it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good if she heard it.¡± Song Zhen teased with a smile, ¡°He Qi, what do you mean? Are you in love with her? Why do you care so much about Sister Jiao?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± He Qi snorted. He touched his newly dyed red hair and thought of the message that person sent. After a long pause, he said, ¡°Shall we go out and talk?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Gu Quan put down his ss. Seeing that the atmosphere was not right, Song Zhen stopped smiling and followed them to the open-air terrace. He Qi handed two cigarettes to them and asked, ¡°Brother Quan, what do you think of Lin Jiao?¡± When Lin Jiao, who came back from the washroom, heard them talking about her, she stopped in her tracks. She leaned against the wall and looked at Gu Quan expectantly and nervously, her palms sweating. Gu Quan asked, ¡°Why are you asking this?¡± He stood under the canopy, his reflection on the ground split into two by the light. Through his voice alone, one couldn¡¯t tell his emotions. ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± He Qi unlocked his phone and thought for a moment before turning off the light. Song Zhen smiled faintly. ¡°Isn¡¯t Brother Quan¡¯s love towards Lin Jiao obvious? Why do you need to ask?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. He never said it himself.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to say? Are you blind? Anyone with a pair of eyes can tell.¡± He Qi could not be bothered with him. ¡°Brother Quan?¡± He turned around and grinned. ¡°Tell us.¡± Gu Quan looked at the morous cityscape in the distance through the rain and fog, and that beautiful figure appeared in front of him again. ¡°Tell you what?¡± His voice was hoarse. Lin Jiao did not understand why but for some reason, his figure seemed especially distant from her despite being only a few meters away. She took a step forward and was about to walk over to wipe the water off his shoulder when she heard He Qi continue. ¡°Do you love her?¡± ¡°She loves me very much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking about whether you love her.¡± Gu Quan took a long pause. ¡°Does it matter?¡± He put out the cigarette and smiled sorrowfully. ¡°Lin Jiao is very good, but she can¡¯t rece her.¡± ¡°Boom¡ª¡± Thunder rumbled. Lin Jiao¡¯s mind was buzzing as she stared at the familiar yet unfamiliar man. It was July, but she felt so cold that she was trembling. Even breathing became abnormally difficult. Who was the ¡®she¡¯ Gu Quan talked about?¡¯ Was there a third person in this rtionship? Lin Jiao did not dare to let her imagination go wild. She bit her lower lip, using the pain to clear her head. Sensing that they were about to return, Lin jiao ran away in a state of panic. ¡°Ouch¡­¡± Chu Yuzhou was bumped into by a woman who came out of nowhere. His forearm was even scratched by the metal thing on her bag. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lin Jiao sobbed and apologized. She held her painful left shoulder. Her grievance was suddenly aggrandized by the pain, and she burst out crying uncontrobly. Before he could speak, she rushed downstairs with her head lowered. When Chu Yuzhou saw tears streaming down her face, he was stunned. ¡°Yuzhou, are you alright?¡± His friend asked and looked in the direction he was looking, ¡°Do you know that girl?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°An old me?¡± ¡°Be careful with what you say, or you¡¯ll die very miserably!¡± Chu Yuzhou nudged him. Without wiping his hands dry, he opened his contact list and dialed the first number. ¡°Lin Jiao is crying¡­¡± Chapter 4 Pei Zhi Appeared and Sent Her to the Hospital The dense dark clouds were oppressive. Lin Jiao, who had left Bo Yu Club, walked on the street in a daze. Her dress waspletely wet, and her white shoes were stained with mud. She watched as one car after another drove past. A few tears slid down the corners of her red eyes, but she couldn¡¯t tell if they were tears or raindrops. Gradually, her vision became blurry. The headlight of a car shone on her face. In order to dodge the car, she staggered and fell towards the street bench that was covered in fallen leaves. A burning pain swept through her body, but pain was nothingpared to coldness in her heart. ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± Someone called out from a distance, apanied by the sound of footsteps approaching. A faint fragrance of cypress entered her nose. A suit jacket was draped over Lin Jiao¡¯s shoulder, blocking the wind and rain for her. Lin Jiao looked up slowly to see a hand holding the umbre. The man was wearing a white shirt and had a noble aura. His face was chiseled, and under his thick eyshes, there was a pair of sharp eyes. However, the worry on his face made those sharp eyes less intimidating. ¡°Did you get hurt from the fall?¡± His voice was deep and rich like a cello ying in her ear. Lin Jiao came back to her senses. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Perhaps it was because someone familiar was beside her, but she removed her disguise and stopped hiding her fragility. She burst out crying. Pei Zhi brushed aside the hair on the side of her face. He put his arm around her shoulder. When he helped her up, he tilted the umbre towards her. ¡°Get in the car first.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Lin Jiao limped towards the car under his help, her left hand gripping the corner of his shirt tightly. The Mercedes parked at the curb still had its headlights on. He opened the passenger door and ced his hand on the roof. After she got in, he walked around to the other side. Pei Zhi turned on the AC in the car. He stuffed the tissue into her hand and drove to the hospital without asking any questions. The sobbing stopped a momentter. Lin Jiao curled up into a ball and looked at the neon lights shing by the street with her swollen eyes. The rain seemed like it was going to continue forever. It was as if she had fallen into a loop. No matter how hard she tried to shake off the thought, she would be pulled back to it eventually. Buzz¡ªBuzz¡ª In a quiet environment, the vibration of the phone sounded especially loud. Lin Jiao took out her phone from her bag and looked at the caller ID. After hesitating for a long time, she pressed the answer button. ¡°Jiaojiao, where are you?¡± Gu Quan stood in the corridor in frustration with one hand on his waist. As soon as he returned to the private room, he heard that Lin Jiao had gone to look for him. He wondered if she had heard their conversation. An indescribable anxiety arose in his heart. He grabbed his phone and went out to make a call without even sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m outside.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s voice was hoarse. Realizing that her tone was abnormal, Gu Quan asked with a frown, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing is wrong.¡± ¡°Send me the location. I¡¯lle and find you.¡± Lin Jiao suddenly fell silent. In all her honesty, she did not want to see him now. She wrapped herself tightly in that suit jacket to warm up. After mustering up her courage, she said, ¡°Can we talk tomorrow?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡­¡± Gu Quan opened his mouth, wanting to exin, but he couldn¡¯t say a word. He pulled off the tie around his neck. ¡°Sure.¡± After a two-second pause, he asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going home tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao hung up. She threw the phone back into her bag and heaved a long sigh of relief. At this moment, the soothing music entered her ears. Lin Jiao, who was extremely tired, drifted into a deep slumber without her even knowing. ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± Pei Zhi stepped on the brakes. Seeing an abnormal blush on her cheeks, he reached out to check the temperature of her forehead. He quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. He walked to the passenger door and carried her into the hospital. In the VIP ward. Pei Zhi rolled up his sleeves and leaned against the wall, waiting for the nurse to apply medicine and change clothes for Lin Jiao. He cracked his knuckles and tapped his arm from time to time, looking worried. ¡°Mr. Pei.¡± The nurse came out with a silver tray with a few pieces of gauze stained with blood. ¡°Please keep an eye on the IV drip. After it runs out, press the call bell. I¡¯lle over and pull out the needle.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi thanked her and walked into the ward. He stood by the bed with his back to the warm light and stared at that pale face. Then he used a wet cotton swab to wet her dry lips. Looking at Lin Jiao who was in such a vulnerable state, Pei Zhi felt like he could no longer keep his real feelings under control. He wanted to protect her even more and never wanted to see her end up like this again. If he had known¡­ Pei Zhi let out a silent sigh. He held the hand that was on the IV drip and, like a loyal knight, guarded her silently for the entire night. * The first rays of the morning sun refracted in and spread on the white bed like a golden veil. Lin Jiao woke up from hunger and opened her eyes. She looked around in confusion. When she saw Pei Zhi sitting on the sofa, working on hisptop, she recalled everything that happenedst night. ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Pei Zhi paused and looked up. Their gazes met. Lin Jiao lowered her eyes. ¡°Uncle, thank you forst night.¡± She was a little embarrassed to be seen by him while she was in that miserable state. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Zhi put theptop away from his knees and walked to the bed with the thermos. ¡°This is the porridge Qu Shao made for you.¡± Qu Shao was his personal assistant and driver. Lin Jiao had seen him a few times, but she did not expect that the fierce-looking big guy could cook too. She slowly scooped up a spoonful of porridge. When she tasted it, her eyes lit up. ¡°Uncle, have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s eat together.¡± She poured half of it into a bowl. ¡°I can¡¯t finish this much. Don¡¯t waste it.¡± Pei Zhi nodded with a gentle smile. He looked at her face, which had regained its color. When she noticed his gaze and looked up, he looked away. Halfway through the meal, Lin Jiao¡¯s phone rang. She did not even want to look at the phone. After filling her stomach, she opened WeChat. ¡°Uncle, can I be discharged today?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi pressed the call bell. ¡°I¡¯ll get you discharged after thest bottle of IV drip.¡± ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡± ¡°Not at all. Are you in a hurry?¡± ¡°I agreed to talk to Gu Quan today.¡± At the mention of Gu Quan, Lin Jiao stopped smiling. Pei Zhi rubbed her cheeks. He smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeve and said coldly, ¡°Lin Jiao, love is not the only thing in life.¡± Lin Jiao looked up and met his dark eyes. She knew this, but love was oftentimes irrational. Chapter 5 What Is There For Me to Be Delusional About? The sun was getting hotter as it approached noon. Lin Jiao covered her forehead with her hand and slowly followed Pei Zhi into the car. In just a few steps, she was already sweating. ¡°To Lufu Bay?¡± Pei Zhi asked as he delivered a tissue to Lin Jiao. Lin Jiao shook her head and took the tissue. She wiped her forehead, turned on the GPS, and showed it to Qu Shao. ¡°Gu Quan has booked a restaurant. I have to meet him first.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Pei Zhi said, his expression unreadable. He leaned against the back of the chair and ced his slender hands casually between his knees. ¡°Do you need me to wait for you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao did not want to waste his time. ¡°Go home and rest. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal another day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m free tomorrow.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you would treat me to a meal?¡± Pei Zhi asked seriously, not hiding the smile in her eyes. Lin Jiao said, ¡°Yes.¡± She looked at his side profile. ¡°What do you want to eat? Chinese or Western?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with either.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll send you a message after I pick a restaurant.¡± Pei Zhi agreed readily. Sensing that he was in a good mood, Qu Shao deliberately slowed down driving. Through the rearview mirror, he nced at Pei Zhi from time to time and kept making hand gestures at him, wanting him to take his time talking. From Lin Jiao¡¯s angle, Qu Shao looked like he was having a hand cramp. She leaned forward and asked with concern, ¡°Brother Qu, are you having a hand cramp?¡± Qu Shao was speechless. He stretched his fingers and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been a little deficient in calcium recently.¡± ¡°Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°I did. It¡¯s not a big problem.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lin Jiao was really afraid that he would identally cause a car ident. ¡°Make some bone soup when you go back. It¡¯s rich in calcium.¡± Qu Shao touched the tip of his nose. ¡°Sure.¡± After about ten minutes, they finally reached the restaurant. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Lin Jiao put her phone in her bag and opened the car door. Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Remember to take your medicine.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± The sun shone on her face, making it radiant. The breeze fluttered her dress, and everything around her seemed to be her background. It was just an ordinary sunny day, but it left a beautiful image in his heart that he could not forget for a long time. ¡°Boss.¡± Seeing that he was lost in deep thought, Qu Shao clicked his tongue. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go in to have lunch and pretend you don¡¯t know she is in there? That way, you can meet again.¡± Pei Zhi gave him a side nce. ¡°Drive.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Company.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Saturday.¡± Qu Shao didn¡¯t want to work on Saturday. ¡°So?¡± Qu Shao gripped the steering wheel and reminded him, ¡°You already promised Miss Lin to go home and rest. You can¡¯t lie to her, right?¡± Pei Zhi remembered having said that to Lin Jiao. He lit a cigarette. ¡°Then go home.¡± Before Qu Shao could rejoice, he continued, ¡°After sending me home, go to thepany and help me get the documents.¡± ¡°What documents? Is there no PDF version?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao was speechless. he stepped on the elerator, letting the wind carry away his sorrowful mood. * In the dining room of the restaurant, melodious music sounded. Sitting alone at the table, Lin Jiao took two sips of the lemon tea brought by the waiter and waited for Gu Quan to appear. She waited for nearly half an hour and called Gu Quan a few times, but no one answered. In the past, she would find excuses for him, such as he might be stuck in a traffic jam, have something to do at thepany, or have turned his phone to silent mode. But now¡­ she began to wonder if he was with that ¡®her¡¯. Once the seed of doubt was nted, it would only grow bigger and make the imagination wilder. From then on, it was just endless paranoia. ¡°Lin Jiao.¡± A man¡¯s voice was heard, bringing Lin Jiao back to her senses. She looked up and saw He Qi¡¯s smiley face. ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s Gu Quan?¡± ¡°He can¡¯te.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°In a literal sense.¡± He Qi pulled out the chair and sat down. ¡°I¡¯ve never eaten in this restaurant before. It looks good.¡± Lin Jiao clenched her fists. ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°To pick up someone at the airport.¡± ¡°Pick up who?¡± ¡°Su Tian.¡± He Qi flipped through the menu and said calmly, ¡°Don¡¯t you know it?¡± He said it casually, but his words made Lin Jiao¡¯s heart sink to the bottom. She pursed her lips, her hands trembling uncontrobly. ¡°What¡¯s their rtionship?¡± ¡°Lovers?¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You?¡± He Qi crossed his legs and ordered two dishes with interest. ¡°At most, you¡¯re just a distraction in his life.¡± Lin Jiao bit open her lower lip. The strong smell of blood made her feel nauseous. She closed her red eyes and felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. Her dress was wrinkled as it was grabbed tightly by her. Seeing that she was silent, He Qi continued with a smirk, ¡°Do you know why Brother Quan is with you?¡± He unlocked his phone and sent her a photo. Her tone became even more disdainful. ¡°They all say that you look like Su Tian, but I think you¡¯re far inferiorpared to her.¡± The notification that popped up on her phone was especially ring. Lin Jiao hesitated for a long time before clicking on the photo. The background of the photo was the airport. A woman in a white dress with the same style as her was facing the camera. She had one hand around Gu Quan¡¯s waist and a shy smile on her lips, as if she was ying cute. Lin Jiao fixed her eyes on the man next to the woman. Gu Quan¡¯s expression was affectionate as he looked at the woman. Lin Jiao felt like she was being pushed to the abyss by someone he loved the most. With the truth in front of her, she realized that her two-year rtionship was just a joke. Even though she was prepared, it was still difficult for her to ept it. ¡°Lin Jiao.¡± He Qi tapped his fingers on the table. ¡°It¡¯s impossible between you and Brother Quan. You¡¯d better not have any delusions about him.¡± Lin Jiao sneered. She didn¡¯t shed a single drop of tear as she said sarcastically, ¡°What¡¯s there for me to be delusional about?¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m warning you. Even if you want to kick up a fuss, don¡¯t mess with Su Tian.¡± When he mentioned Su Tian, the affection he unintentionally revealed made Lin Jiao feel a little strange. She thought of the photo she saw in Gu Quan¡¯s bedroom and seemed to have found the source of his aggressiveness towards her. ¡°Why? Do you like her?¡± He Qi¡¯s expression suddenly took a drastic turn. ¡°Lin Jiao, be careful with what you say. You don¡¯t need me to teach you what is appropriate to say and what is not, do you?¡± ¡°Why did you get triggered?¡± ¡°Who is triggered? I am not triggered.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°He Qi, it doesn¡¯t feel good to have an unrequited love, right? You can only watch her be intimate with another man, but you can¡¯t do anything about it. How pitiful you are.¡± ¡°Me? Pitiful?¡± He Qi pointed at himself as if he had heard a joke. He said sarcastically, ¡°No matter what, I¡¯m still better than you who is just a recement of someone else. What¡¯s funny is that you even thought you found your true love.¡± ¡°At least I once had him. What about you?¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a chance to live with her. Who¡¯s pitiful?¡± He Qi, who had been poked in the sore spot, flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°You¡¯re just a ything. What makes you think you can talk to me like that?¡± Suddenly, the lemon tea in the cup was sshed out by that slender hand on He Qi¡¯s furious face. Chapter 6 Let¡¯s Break Up ¡°It¡¯s your ce to judge me.¡± Lin Jiao put down her teacup. She walked to his side and sneered, ¡°You came all the way here to humiliate me for that couple, but will they thank you for doing so and will that make her fall in love with you?¡± He Qi wiped the sticky tea off his face and stood up, wanting to grab her cor. ¡°Do you think that I don¡¯t hit¡­¡± Before he could say the word ¡®woman¡¯, Lin Jiao grabbed his forearm and with a push, he fell to the ground. The entire process happened so fast that He Qi could not even react. ¡°Wow!¡± Song Zhen arrived in time to see Lin Jiao pushing He Qi to the ground. He looked at He Qi, who was lying on the ground in a strange posture and said, ¡°Bro, are your shoes too slippery?¡± He Qi was so angry that the veins on his forehead bulged. He got back on his feet with Song Zhen¡¯s help. As soon as he stood up, he grabbed the ss, wanting to smash it on Lin Jiao. ¡°He Qi, what are you doing?¡± Song Zhen quickly snatched the ss and reminded him in a low voice, ¡°There are people watching.¡± ¡°Who the f*ck cares?¡± He Qi, who had lost his mind, couldn¡¯t care less. ¡°I won¡¯t let this bi*ch off today.¡± ¡°You?¡± Lin Jiao mocked him disdainfully. ¡°I advise you to go home and learn somebat skills.¡± ¡°You f*cking¡­¡± ¡°You like hitting women? Let me see what you got.¡± A middle-aged man on the next table put down his chopsticks and pped the table. As soon as he spoke, the other customers echoed, ¡°Dude, you really embarrass us men. Go home.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all adults. Violence won¡¯t solve the problem. Don¡¯t you understand something as simple as that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This girl¡¯s leg is still injured.¡± Many people looked at him reproachfully. Not to mention He Qi, even Song Zhen was embarrassed. He handed the car key to He Qi. ¡°Go out and wait. I want to talk to Sister Jiao.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± He Qi agreed. He red at Lin Jiao and trotted away as quickly as possible. The way he left the scene was quiteical. Lin Jiao thanked the people around her and sat back down. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± When facing Gu Quan¡¯s good friends again, Lin Jiao wasn¡¯t as friendly as before. There was even a trace of frustration and impatience. Song Zhen could understand. After all, Gu Quan was indeed in the wrong. He had no reason to make things difficult for her like He Qi did. ¡°Brother Quan asked me toe over and tell you that he can¡¯te.¡± ¡°Why? Because of Su Tian?¡± ¡°You know everything?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I know?¡± Lin Jiao pulled out a tissue and wiped her right hand. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m a clown?¡± ¡°Of course, no.¡± ¡°Then what did you take me for over the past two years? A ything or a recement?¡± For a moment, Song Zhen felt that she had changed. She had changed from a fragile lily to a thorny rose. To be honest, he quite liked her change. ¡°Sister Jiao.¡± He said seriously, ¡°No matter what others think about you, I¡¯ve always treated you as a friend.¡± ¡°Then why did you hold back from telling me the truth?¡± Lin Jiao looked up. ¡°Not even a single word of reminder.¡± Song Zhen didn¡¯t know what to say. He knew very well that nothing was enough to stop her from loving Gu Quan because she was too love-struck, so why bother? ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know it would end up like this.¡± He apologized sincerely. At least, he looked sincere. ¡°Is there anything else you want to say?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao threw away the crumpled tissue. She ced two hundred yuan on the table and stood up expressionlessly. She faced the ring sun and disappeared from his vision. When she returned to Lufu Bay, she was still a little lost. Now that she was told that the love she thought was real was actually fake, Lin Jiao felt humiliated and her dignity trampled. This vi filled with countless memories had be a cage that she wanted to escape from. Lin Jiao took a deep breath and walked along the stone path towards the steps, each step extremely heavy. She nced at the elegantly decorated living room and suppressed the sadness in her eyes. She returned to the bedroom as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there was not much memory rted to Gu Quan here, so she could remain calm when packing. She did not take away the photos of the two of them or the clothes he liked. She vowed to leave behind all the memories of the past two years. * ¡°Brother Quan, Sister Jiao already knew about it.¡± Gu Quan was silent for a long time when he received the call. He stood in front of the French window and looked down at the bustling scenery below. There was a frown on his handsome face, and it was unknown what he was thinking. ¡°Brother Quan?¡± Song Zhen thought he didn¡¯t hear him and repeated, ¡°What do you n to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make it clear to her.¡± ¡°As soon as possible, then.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan unbuttoned his shirt and turned to look at Su Tian, who was still folding clothes with her head lowered. Perhaps sensing his gaze, Su Tian paused and said shyly, ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± ¡°I was afraid that you would disappear into the thin air.¡± In her third year of high school, her leaving without saying goodbye had always been something Gu Quan couldn¡¯t get over with. He had dreamed of meeting her again many times, but when she stood in front of him, he felt that it was unreal. Su Tian was stunned. ¡°I won¡¯t disappear again.¡± She hugged his waist happily and looked up at him. ¡°Back then, I made a wrong choice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not your fault.¡± Gu Quan took a deep breath, his eyes filled with undiluted love. ¡°We still have a lot of time.¡± Su Tian smiled in satisfaction. She retreated from his arms and asked considerately, ¡°Was that call just now from thepany?¡± ¡°Yes, something came up.¡± ¡°Then go deal with it. We¡¯ll go out when I¡¯m done unpacking here.¡± Gu Quan nodded and turned to go to the study. He called Lin Jiao and asked in a muffled voice, ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Are you free tomorrow? I want¡ª¡± Hearing his muffled voice, Lin Jiao knew that he was still with Su Tian. She suppressed the anger and disgust that were surging in her heart and said in a strangely calm voice, ¡°Gu Quan, let¡¯s break up.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he asked, ¡°What did you say?¡± When he left Bo Yu Club, he had thought of ending this rtionship. At that time, he was still hesitant, but after seeing Su Tian, he was determined to put an end to the rtionship with Lin Jiao. However, he did not expect her to bring it up first in such a calm and indifferent manner. ¡°Let¡¯s break up and not have anything to do with each other ever again,¡± Lin Jiao repeated with determination. Chapter 7 I Just Want to Make It Up to You Gu Quan was silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Feeling guilty, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the shop in the city center to you.¡± ¡°Oh, keep it to yourself. I am not a beggar.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, I just want to make it up to you.¡± ¡°Make it up to me? You just want to give me something to make yourself feel good, right?¡± Lin Jiao sneered, ¡°Gu Quan, you¡¯re so hypocritical.¡± ¡°No matter what you think, I won¡¯t be stingy with what I have to give to you. I just hope¡­¡± You won¡¯t hate me. Gu Quan did not finish his sentence. He was in no position to ask her to do anything. ¡°Miss, we¡¯re here.¡± The driver in the front stepped on the brakes and broke the silence. Lin Jiao hung up without saying a word. Just as she got out of the car with two suitcases, she received a call from Pei Yn. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you have time to hang out?¡± ¡°I¡¯m moving. I don¡¯t have time.¡± Pei Yn sat up from the sofa. ¡°Moving? Did you quarrel with Gu Quan?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao held her phone tightly and smiled sadly. ¡°I broke up with him.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She hurriedly changed her shoes and ran out. ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°Ming Xin Mansion.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Lin Jiao opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, the call ended. She sighed and found the most eye-catching ce to sit so that Yi Pen could see her upon arriving. Ten minutester, a red sports car was parked outside. Pei Yn mmed the car door and ran up to Lin Jiao with a terrifying aura. ¡°What did that bastard Gu Quan do to you?¡± She was in such a hurry that she even forgot to tie the shoce and do her hair, which was usually carefully styled. Seeing her like this, Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes turned red for no reason. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°What do you mean nothing?¡± Pei Yn pointed at the gauze on Lin Jiao¡¯s leg and stomped her feet in anger. ¡°Where is he? I¡¯ll get someone to beat him up!¡± ¡°This has nothing to do with him.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak up for him!¡± ¡°Really.¡± Lin Jiao calmed herself down. ¡°I identally fell.¡± Pei Yn looked at her for a few seconds to make sure that she was lying. She asked, ¡°Why did you two break up?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Lin Jiao nced at the pedestriansing and going and asked her to find a spot to park the car first. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at Unit 9.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn did not ask further. The apartment in Ming Xin Mansion was bought by Lin Jiao¡¯s parents when she was in her first year of university. She had been here twice, so she was kind of familiar with it. ¡°Ding¡ª¡± The elevator stopped on the eighth floor. Lin Jiao dragged the suitcases to the right and took out the key from her bag. ¡°Yi Lan, have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Pei Yn followed her into the apartment. She stood in the entryway and looked around. ¡°Why do I feel like the furnishings here have changed?¡± ¡°My mother probably got someone to change it.¡± ¡°Auntie has good taste.¡± Lin Jiao threw herself on the sofa. ¡°Indeed, my mother is better than most of the designers.¡± She still remembered that when her parents were still married, everything at home was taken care of by her mother. Even if their life was not that well-off at that time, she could still feel warmth and happiness. ¡°This painting looks familiar.¡± Pei Yn pointed at the painting on the wall and said thoughtfully, ¡°Does your mother like this kind of painting?¡± ¡°My father likes it.¡± ¡°No wonder this painting looks so ipatible with everything else.¡± Lin Jiao chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll get used to it.¡± She opened the app and asked, ¡°What do you want to eat? Fried chicken or barbecue?¡± ¡°Barbecue.¡± Pei Yn opened the suitcases and helped her unpack the clothes. She took out a few dresses in a row and realized that they were not the ones sent by Gu Quan. She said in surprise, ¡°Have you really made up your mind?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°About you and that bastard.¡± Lin Jiao looked up. ¡°Yes.¡± She looked into Pei Yn¡¯s eyes and said firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my words.¡± ¡°What if hees to you?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t change a thing.¡± ¡°Are you really so sure¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one he loves.¡± After hearing the whole story, Pei Yn had aplicated expression. She looked at Lin Jiao, who looked as if nothing had happened, and couldn¡¯t imagine how much she had suffered in just a day. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn hugged her shoulder, wanting tofort her, but she was afraid of making her sadder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll always be here.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Forget it if that bastard Gu Quan doesn¡¯t cherish you. Let¡¯s find a better one!¡± Hearing that, Lin Jiao felt less aggrieved and was even in the mood to joke. ¡°Alright, find me one tomorrow.¡± She patted Pei Yn¡¯s back. ¡°Not tomorrow. It¡¯s too soon.¡± ¡°Then the day after tomorrow?¡± ¡°A month.¡± Pei Yn said in all seriousness, ¡°Give me a month, and I¡¯ll definitely find you the best man in the world.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lin Jiao replied perfunctorily. She did not take this to heart, nor did she know what kind of ¡°trouble¡± this would bring. * Night fell. The bar street near the CBD was wrapped in a faint fog, looking like a paradise. The bright moonlight intertwined with the neon lights, elongating the reflection on the ground and being shattered by the dense trees. Lin Jiao stepped on the mottled light and was pulled into the bar at the end of the street by Pei Yn. There were some customers sitting in the bar. Under the dim light, their figures seemed to be covered by a thin veil. On the stage, a singer was humming a tone with the guitar. His unique voice made Lin Jiao feel ill at ease. Waiter led them to the second floor and took the reserved sign off the table. ¡°What would you like to drink?¡± ¡°The best cocktails you have.¡± ¡°Alright, do you want some snacks?¡± ¡°Um, yeah, bring us whatever you think is good.¡± Pei Yn put her bag aside and turned to open the window. ¡°Jiaojiao, the vibe here is not bad, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao pushed aside the hair on her shoulder and looked around. ¡°Do youe often?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ve only been here twice.¡± Pei Yn waited for the cocktails to be served and picked a ss for Lin Jiao. ¡°Try this. The alcohol content is not high.¡± ¡°How high is not high?¡± ¡°About ten percent.¡± Lin Jiao took two sips. A sweet fragrance spread in her mouth, almost covering the taste of alcohol. She had to admit that this ss of cocktail was the best she had ever tasted. Pei Yn drank four or five sses before asking the waiter to bring over two dice cups. She swayed the dice cup from side to side. ¡°Do you wanna y? Whoever loses will be punished to drink a ss.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Sure.¡± She yed a few rounds with Pei Yn. They were on par with each other. Chapter 8 Meeting Pei Zhi Again While She Was Drunk This way, they quickly finished half of the two sets of cocktails on the table. Although the alcohol percentage was not high, it was inevitable that they would get drunk. Pei Yn¡¯s face was extremely red. She pushed the te of snacks to Lin Jiao and leaned backzily. ¡°Jiaojiao, eat something before continuing.¡± ¡°Are you drunk?¡± ¡°How is that possible? This is just beginning.¡± Seeing that she was still clear-minded, Lin Jiao was relieved. She picked up the silver fork and put a piece of fruit into her mouth. ¡°We¡¯re not here to get drunk. It¡¯s enough.¡± Pei Yn waved her hand. ¡°We don¡¯t get the chance to gather like this. Let¡¯s get stoned.¡± As she spoke, she ordered another set of cocktails. This kind of cocktail was extremely deceptive. It looked harmless but in fact, it was very strong. When she drank it, she did not feel anything, but after half an hour, Lin Jiao started to feel dizzy. She patted her hot face and said while she was still in her right mind, ¡°Yn, we really can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± The surrounding music drowned out her voice. Pei Yn, who was staring at the singer, did not hear her clearly. She muttered, ¡°Jiaojiao, this song is nice.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and looked at the singer. He strummed the guitar and hummed a sad melody into the microphone. ¡°Maybe love makes this moment gray. We¡¯re still as distant as ever¡­¡± Outside the window, it started to rain again. The raindrops, blown by the wind, slipped in from outside the window and sshed on Lin Jiao¡¯s shoulder. She was immersed in the song, and her eyes, for some reason, turned red. After the song ended, Pei Yn, who was still not satisfied, looked at Lin Jiao from the side and her smile gradually froze. She leaned forward. ¡°Jiaojiao, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Jiao came back to her senses. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± She held back her tears. ¡°He sang very well.¡± ¡°You like him?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pei Yn said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get him toe over to keep youpany.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going over there.¡± She pointed in a direction. Lin Jiao thought she was going to the washroom. ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Pei Yn took two steps before returning to get her bag. ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll be right back.¡± She walked around the second floor but didn¡¯t see that singer. Just as she was about to go downstairs to look, she saw that singer from the corner of her eye. The man sat in the booth on the left. The light and shadow separated his figure into two. The closer she got, the easier it was to be attracted to him. Pei Yn found him a little familiar. However, with her vision blurry and the light dim, she could not dredge up memories about him. She thought of Lin Jiao, who was still waiting for her. She took out a card from her bag and threw it in front of him. ¡°Handsome, do me a favor.¡± Pei Zhi paused in the middle of lighting a cigarette. He looked up and saw it was his niece. Seeing that she was so drunk that she could not even recognize him, he frowned. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Pei Yn¡¯s attitude was extremely arrogant, and she did not notice his dark expression at all. Her ¡®bold¡¯ behavior amused Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Beautiful, what do you want him to do?¡± ¡°Drink.¡± ¡°With whom.¡± Pei Yn ignored him. She took out another bank card from her pocket and threw it at Pei Zhi. ¡°Here! Go and have a drink with my friend.¡± Pei Zhi was so angry that he almostughed. He pped away the card on hisp and said in a cold voice, ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°Say what? Hurry up and go.¡± ¡°Yn!¡± Lin Jiao rushed over to stop her from causing trouble. She held Pei Yn and was too embarrassed to look at them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my friend drank too much.¡± The moment she appeared, the anger in Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes was reced by gentleness. His voice softened. ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Did you drink too much too?¡± This voice was overly familiar. Was he¡­ Pei Zhi?! Lin Jiao suddenly opened her eyes wide as he looked at the man. When their gazes met, she let out a gasp of surprise. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re here too.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, do you know each other?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t he your uncle?¡± Pei Yn was overly concerned about finding her a handsome man and helping her get over the break out. She did not even look at Lin Jiao. She pushed Lin Jiao. ¡°Go over and wait. I¡¯ll get you a handsome boy very soon.¡± The moment that figure pounced on him, Pei Zhi reached out and grabbed her waist. He helped her sit down and moved to the side like a gentleman. He curled his knuckles and rubbed his thumbs. In his heart, he was reminiscing about the touch that belonged to her, but his face was as cold as ice. ¡°Pei Yn, are you done messing around?¡± Pei Yn rolled her eyes. ¡°Shut up.¡± She was so sleepy that she fell onto the sofa. Before she fell asleep, she didn¡¯t forget to remind Lin Jiao, ¡°Jiaojiao, grab the opportunity.¡± ¡°What opportunity?¡± ¡°Man, you know.¡± Pei Zhi nced at Lin Jiao and asked casually, ¡°Lin Jiao, just the two of you tonight?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the ss of ¡®water¡¯ on the table. She took a sip of it and started choking nonstop. Pei Zhi quickly ced his palm on her back and patted her gently. ¡°This is vodka.¡± He snatched the ss away, his face filled with worry and concern. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so spicy.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips, feeling the spiciness rush from her throat to the top of her head. She looked at him eagerly. ¡°I want water.¡± When that pair of eyes were fixed on him, Pei Zhi lost his rationality and his heart softened. ¡°Okay, wait a minute.¡± With that, he went to fetch water. Chu Yuzhou shook his head, not knowing what to say about their interaction. He puffed on his cigarette a few times. When Pei Zhi came back, he suggested, ¡°Do you want to send her back first?¡± Pei Zhi looked at Lin Jiao inquiringly. ¡°I can¡¯t walk.¡± She held the ss with both hands and spoke slowly, as if she was a kitten that needed protection. ¡°Are you tired?¡± ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t even raise my hand.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. He knew that she was stoned, so he didn¡¯t even say anything like ¡°You don¡¯t need hands to walk¡±. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback.¡± ¡°What about Yn? Aren¡¯t you going to give her a piggyback?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s vision turned blurry. She was still thinking about Pei Yn and did not want to leave her behind. ¡°Yuzhou will carry her.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Yuzhou?¡± ¡°I¡±m here,¡± Chu Yuzhou said. He walked up to Pei Yn and wrapped her in a nket before carrying her up. ¡°I have to say, your little niece is quite heavy.¡± Chapter 9 Sending Her Home Lin Jiao said, holding her bag, ¡°I¡¯m very heavy too.¡± This was the first time Pei Zhi had seen her drunk. And he found her especially cute when she was drunk. He rubbed the top of her head and put his suit jacket on her. ¡°I can carry you no matter how heavy you are.¡± Lin Jiao got on his back slowly and unsteadily. She hugged his neck, afraid that she would fall. ¡°Don¡¯t drive too fast.¡± Pei Zhi could feel her hot breath on the back of his neck. It was like an electric current that ran through his body, making him numb. He grabbed her ankle to keep her from falling off and tried his best to ignore the softness that he felt on his back. ¡°Is this speed alright?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao looked down. ¡°How do you have to drive?¡± She asked in a daze. ¡°We¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Pei Zhi strode down the stairs. Qu Shao, who was waiting in the car, was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped when he saw his boss carrying a woman. He quickly got out of the car and went to the back. When he opened the car door for Pei Zhi, he said with concern, ¡°Boss, this is not good.¡± ¡°What¡¯s not good?¡± ¡°Women who hang out in bars areplicated. If you really have that need, it¡¯s better to find a normal woman.¡± Pei Zhi was speechless. He red at Qu Shao. ¡°Shut up.¡± Then, he put Lin Jiao down. ¡°Are you still driving?¡± ¡°Yes, get in the car first.¡± ¡°But my legs are numb.¡± Lin Jiao blew away the strands of hair covering her face, revealing her charming face. As soon as he saw her face, Qu Shao was stunned. He looked at the two of them and stammered, ¡°Miss Lin, what a coincidence.¡± Lin Jiao nced at him and had a hard time identifying him as she was still drunk. ¡°Ignore him.¡± Afraid that she would be drenched in the rain, Pei Zhi helped her into the car. After she got into the car, he walked to the car behind and knocked on the window twice. ¡°Yuzhou, did you call for a designated driver?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Yuzhou shoved Pei Yn into the back seat and said, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, my assistant wille and driveter.¡± ¡°Then be careful. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Alright, go ahead.¡± Before Pei Zhi could shake off the raindrops on his shoulder, the person beside him leaned over. On impulse, he put his arm around her waist. However, that was as far as he would go. Crossing the line while she was not fully awake was not something he would do. ¡°Boss, where are we going?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s send her home first.¡± ¡°But do you know where she lives?¡± Pei Zhi was put on the spot. He really did not know. He lowered his head to look at Lin Jiao and asked, ¡°Lin Jiao, where do you live?¡± Lin Jiao heard him ask where she lived in a daze and replied weakly, ¡°Ming Xin.¡± ¡°Ming what?¡± ¡°Ming Xin Mansion.¡± Qu Shao immediately added, ¡°Boss, Ming Xin Mansion is just two streets away from where you live.¡± Pei Zhi was delighted. ¡°Alright, get going.¡± He knew very well why Lin Jiao moved. It was precisely because of this that he exuded glows. Qu Shao was also happy for him. After all, it meant that his boss now would have a chance. However, when he arrived outside Ming Xin Mansion, he encountered another problem. ¡°Boss, which unit does she live in?¡± Pei Zhi did not want to wake Lin Jiao up. He swiped open her phone and found the detailed address on the food-delivering app. ¡°Unit 9.¡± Qu Shao gave him a thumbs up and drove on. After stopping, he turned around and asked, ¡°Boss, do you want me to wait for you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± With that, Pei Zhi carried Lin Jiao into the building. The corridor lights were bright, wrapping around the two ovepping figures. Pei Zhi pushed the door open and entered. He found Lin Jiao¡¯s bedroom and gently ced her on the bed. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He brushed her hair aside, his voice gentle and deep. ¡°I feel terrible¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t breathe.¡± Lin Jiao turned over ufortably, one hand behind her back, as if she was trying to touch something. Pei Zhi leaned over and looked at her back. She did not see anything and was a little anxious. Afraid that she might have an allergy, he quickly called Qu Shao. ¡°Boss.¡± Qu Shao, who had been imagining what could happen to his boss and Lin Jiao, said in an especially cheeky way, ¡°I am next to a convenience store. What do you need?¡± Pei Zhi did not want to waste his breath talking to him. ¡°Drive the car back.¡± ¡°Are you leaving so soon?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not feeling well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Qu Shao did not dare to be negligent. He turned the steering wheel and asked, ¡°Do you want me to send her to the hospital?¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°Yes, she¡­¡± A white bra flew over and interrupted him. He subconsciously caught it and looked at it. His earlobes instantly turned red when he felt the remaining body temperature on it. ¡°Boss? What did you just say?¡± Qu Shao did not hear anything else and thought that the signal was not good. ¡°No, nothing.¡± ¡°Is Miss Lin allergic to alcohol?¡± Pei Zhi looked away with difficulty. ¡°No.¡± He nced at Lin Jiao from the corner of his eye. ¡°She¡¯s fine. You don¡¯t have toe.¡± Qu Shao was puzzled. Was his boss ying a prank on him? ¡°Boss, are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± With that, Pei Zhi hung up. He put the bra aside and covered it with a nket. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you feeling better now?¡± Lin Jiao responded softly and closed her eyes in satisfaction without noticing that Pei Zhi¡¯s face was as red as an apple. She stopped struggling in difort, which put Pei Zhi at ease. However¡­ He had no clue how she managed to take off her bra without taking off her dress¡­ Chapter 10 Who Should I Bark At a Dog? When Lin Jiao woke up, the warm sun shone in from the window and cast its ray on the dust particles floating in the room, making it look surreal. She sat up weakly and reached for the ss on the bedside table. The cold water flowed down her throat, alleviating the difort and dryness, and also clearing her chaotic thoughts. Buzz¡ªBuzz¡ª Lin Jiao nced at the caller and answered the call after some hesitation. Her tone was cold as she asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Sister Jiao, are you free this afternoon?¡± Song Zhen was very polite. ¡°Brother Quan wants to transfer a shop to you. You have toe over and sign it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Then do you want me to bring it over for you to sign?¡± Lin Jiao said sternly, ¡°I told Gu Quan very clearly that I don¡¯t want anything from him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what you said when you were swiping his card. What¡¯s the point of pretending?¡± ¡°He Qi, what are you doing?¡± Song Zhen, who had snatched his phone back, quickly apologized, ¡°Sister Jiao, don¡¯t take what he said to heart.¡± Lin Jiao said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t bark at a dog when a dog barks at me.¡± She was not stupid. Since she had nothing to do with Gu Quan now, why should she care about what his friends thought about her? Song Zhen walked away from He Qi with his phone. He brought the topic back. ¡°Sister Jiao, Brother Quan doesn¡¯t mean anything bad. He just wants you to live well.¡± ¡°Whether I¡¯m living well or not has nothing to do with him.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s throat was still hurting and she was not in the mood to talk to him. ¡°Tell him to stop bothering me.¡± ¡°¡­Alright,¡± Song Zhen said. He knew it was useless to persuade her. As soon as the call ended, Lin Jiao cklisted Gu Quan and his friends. She opened WeChat and was about to do the same when an unread message appeared. Pei Yuan: ¡°Did you wake up?¡± Lin Jiao stared at the screen for a long time and tried to recall what happenedst night, but her memory stopped at the moment she saw Pei Zhi at the bar. She replied with two messages in a row: ¡°Yeah, I woke up a while ago.¡± ¡°Uncle, did you send me homest night?¡± In order not to miss her message, Pei Zhi logged into WeChat early in the morning on his office desktopputer. He opened the chat box and typed on the keyboard: ¡°Yeah, do you feel unwell?¡± ¡°My throat is a little sore.¡± ¡°The kettle is on the bedside table to your right. Drink more water and rest at home today.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and opened the lid of the kettle. Seeing that it was filled with water, she couldn¡¯t help but feel sweet. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. Smiley face.¡± Seeing this emoji, Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He picked up his phone and opened the food-delivering app. At this point, Lin Jiao did not know what else to chat about. She turned on the kettle and leanedzily against the bed. She sent him another emoji. Pei Zhi went through his sticker collection and sent a head-patting sticker. ¡°I ordered takeout for you. It¡¯ll be there soon.¡± Lin Jiao felt happy that someone cared about her, but her focus at this moment was on the cute head-patting sticker. She saved the sticker and asked, ¡°Uncle, have you eaten?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Thinking that she had yet to wash up, Pei Zhi ended the topic first. ¡°I still have work to do. Rest well.¡± ¡°Roger that, sir.¡± Lin Jiao returned to the user interface. She deleted a dozen WeChat friends and found all the bank cards Gu Quan had given her. She called a courier to send the cards back. Without hesitation or reluctance, she decisively got rid of everything rted to him, as if she was dealing with expired food. * ¡°Who does Lin Jiao think she is?¡± A loud bang came from the private room of a restaurant. He Qi, who had smashed his phone, was still angry. ¡°Song Zhen, call her again.¡± ¡°Is that necessary?¡± ¡°Of course, it is. She scolded me!¡± Song Zhen sighed. He felt that He Qi was like a child who had not grown up. He said reasonably, ¡°You were the one being sarcastic first.¡± ¡°You call that sarcasm but I call that honesty.¡± ¡°Even if she spent Brother Quan¡¯s money, he gave it to her willingly. Who are we to say anything about it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like her anyway!¡± He took a sip of tea and started to dig up the past. ¡°I haven¡¯t settled the score with her about what happened in the restaurantst time.¡± ¡°You still want to fight back?¡± ¡°Not only that, but I also have to teach her a lesson.¡± Song Zhen patted his shoulder. ¡°She¡¯s Brother Quan¡¯s ex-girlfriend after all. Don¡¯t go overboard.¡± ¡°Brother Quan doesn¡¯t care about her anyway.¡± ¡°How do you expect people to think about Brother Quan if his friend gives his ex-girlfriend a beating?¡± He Qi did not speak. He used silence to let this matter rest, but he was secretly nning something. Su Tian, who was standing at the door, litening, knocked twice. She carried the two bags to the table and chatted with them like she used to. ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Quan?¡± ¡°He met two partners and is chatting with them next door. He¡¯lle overter.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Song Zhen replied. When he and Su Tian were in high school, their rtionship was very ordinary and they did not have much inmon. On the other hand, He Qi suddenly became a chatterbox and couldn¡¯t stop talking. ¡°I heard you guys talking about Lin Jiao just now.¡± Su Tian asked calmly, ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°No.¡± He Qi did not notice Song Zhen¡¯s gaze and told her everything without thinking. Song Zhen was speechless. He was afraid that Su Tian would be pissed off about Gu Quan wanting to give Lin Jiao the shop, so he quickly exined, ¡°Brother Quan doesn¡¯t mean anything by it. He just wants to give her something as an apology gift.¡± The day Su Tian nned to return to the country, she asked He Qi about what had happened in the past few years. Naturally, she knew that Gu Quan had no feelings for Lin Jiao. However, she still felt a little ufortable at the thought that Lin Jiao had been living with her man for so long. ¡°I know.¡± Su Tian rubbed her teacup. ¡°This is all our fault. We have to make it up to her.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± ¡°If I knew it earlier, I would have stopped Gu Quan from finding a recement, and Lin Jiao wouldn¡¯t have to suffer the pain.¡± ¡°Su Tian, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± He Qi looked at her with all the gentleness he had, but he could not hug her in his arms and could onlyfort her verbally. Su Tian shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll take responsibility for Gu Quan¡¯s mistake. After all, he did it for me.¡± ¡°That bi*ch doesn¡¯t want anypensation anyway. Just ignore her and live a good life with Brother Quan.¡± ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t want it, we have to give it to her.¡± He Qi knew she was a kind-hearted person. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± ¡°Give me her number.¡± Su Tian swiped open the screen of her phone and handed it to him. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her when I have time.¡± He Qi could not reject her. He reminded her again, ¡°Just talk to her on the phone. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t meet her.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll harm you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Tian lowered her eyes. When she saved the number, a dark glint shed across her eyes. It was still uncertain who would harm who. Chapter 11 Office Romance Is Strictly Forbidden On Monday, the employees of Sheng Heng Corp lined up in an orderly manner in front of the time clock in the hall. Some were chewing on their breakfast, and some were reading on their phone. They went about their business without disturbing each other. Lin Jiao, who was at the end of the line, became nervous because of the tense atmosphere. Today was her first day at thepany. In order to leave a good impression on her new colleagues, she woke up two hours early to put on makeup and do her hair. She even practiced smiling in front of the mirror several times. While no one was looking at her, she took out a cosmetic mirror. After confirming that her makeup was perfectly done, she took the elevator to the second floor and went to the human resources department to settle the procedures. ¡°Lin Jiao, right?¡± The HR officer in her early thirties nced at her and called out her name. She extended her hand. ¡°My name is Zhao Lan, the supervisor of the human resources department. You can call me Sister Lan.¡± ¡°Sister Lan.¡± Lin Jiao held her hand and smiled sweetly. Zhao Lan said with a nod, ¡°Follow me.¡± She pushed open the door to the lounge and took out the two contracts she had prepared. ¡°Press your fingerprint on all the ces where your name is written.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao opened her wallet, handed her ID card to her, and read the contract quickly. She pressed her fingerprint down seriously ording to the rules. Zhao Lan checked the contracts. ¡°The nning department is on the eighth floor. Go up and look for Manager Wu. He will arrange work for you.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She put on the work pass Zhao Lan gave her and walked into Manager Wu¡¯s office five minutester. Manager Wu¡¯s name was Wu Xiuwen, and he was the deputy manager of the nning department. He was clearly not old, but his checkered shirt made him look old and dull. He took out the resume sent by the human resources department and looked at it again. He said amiably, ¡°What a coincidence. I also graduated from Lin University.¡± ¡°Were you in the same major as me?¡± ¡°No, I majored in mathematics.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Perhaps because they were schoolmates, Lin Jiao was not as nervous as before. She sat upright on the chair and answered all his questions patiently, but she did not expect his questions to suddenly take a big turn. ¡°Lin, are you in a rtionship?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s like this. There are many single young men in ourpany, but office romance is strictly forbidden. Avoid unnecessary contacts other than work.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lin Jiao looked serious. ¡°Manager, don¡¯t worry. I have no intention of falling in love at the moment. I want to focus on my career.¡± Wu Xiuwen nodded in satisfaction. He put away the resume and brought her to the office to introduce her to the other employees. ¡°Everyone, stop doing what you are doing for a moment.¡± The sound of typing on the keyboard suddenly stopped. When several people looked over, Wu Xiuwen cleared his throat and said, ¡°This is our new colleague, Lin Jiao.¡± Lin Jiao felt clumsy when so many eyes were fixed on her. She smiled and greeted them. The room fell silent. Just as she was beginning to wonder if she was disturbing their work, she heard someone let out a gasp of surprise. ¡°Wow!¡± The man sitting at the first desk on the right said, ¡°We finally have a pretty girl at our department.¡± As soon as he spoke, the others agreed and praised Lin Jiao with nice words. Chapter 12 First Day At The Company Lin Jiao blushed at the praise. Seeing that she was embarrassed, Wu Xiuwen nced at them. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Don¡¯t scare our new coworker.¡± ¡°We¡¯re just excited.¡± ¡°Which one of us will be the guide for our new colleague?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about it. It can be anyone but you.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. Wu Xiuwen ignored them. He looked around the workstation and called a man who remained quiet all along. ¡°Zheng Yi, you¡¯ll be in charge of guiding her.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zheng Yi led her to an empty seat. He found more than ten documents and piled them on Lin Jiao¡¯s desk. ¡°There are introductions to the products and projects that we currently have, as well as the nning ns and project proposals we made in the first half of the year. I¡¯ll give you a week to digest them. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Ask me if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand. I¡¯ll ask you to write a proposal in a week.¡± Lin Jiao nodded like a chick pecking at grain. She put down her bag, joined their group chat, and got down to work. She spent the entire morning immersed in the introduction of the products and projects. Even when it was time for lunch, she was still working. ¡°Lin Jiao, stop for a moment.¡± Zheng Yi knocked on the table with his finger. ¡°We have two hours of lunch break. Go and eat first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at him. She closed the folder and leaned back on the chair. ¡°Brother Zheng, which floor is the cafeteria?¡± ¡°Fifth floor,¡± the female colleague beside her answered. As she rubbed hand cream on her hand, she said with a friendly smile, ¡°Zheng Yi brought his own food. I¡¯ll go with you.¡± The environment in Sheng Heng¡¯s employees¡¯ cafeteria was excellent. Not to mention the elegant decoration, the various considerate services gave people a sense of home. There were all kinds of dishes lying in the ss disy, and they all looked very appetizing. Lin Jiao held a te in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other. If not for the fact that she was afraid of wasting food, she really wanted to get a little of every dish. The two of them walked around the dining area for a long time before finding an empty seat to sit down. ¡°Yunjie, how long have you been in thepany?¡± Lin Jiao took the opportunity to strike up a conversation with her. ¡°Not long. Maybe six months.¡± ¡°Is this your first job?¡± ¡°Yeah, kind of.¡± Feng Yunjie was very chatty. Once she started, she couldn¡¯t stop talking. Unavoidably, the girls brought their attention to gossip. Feng Yunjie asked, ¡°Did you know anything about Sheng Heng Corp before you came?¡± ¡°I did some research on thepany.¡± ¡°Then do you know our boss?¡± Lin Jiao was stunned for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. What about him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s especially handsome!¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. ¡°When I first saw him, I thought he was from the entertainment industry! He looks like someone whoes straight out of Vampire Diary.¡± When Feng Yunjie mentioned him, she looked infatuated. Especially those eyes. They were sparkling with excitement. Lin Jiao asked cooperatively, ¡°Is he that handsome?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Feng Yunjie nodded. ¡°And he¡¯s only 29 years old! He¡¯s already sessful at 29 years old. Some people can¡¯t reach his level even if they work hard for their entire lives, okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Jiao agreed with that. She had always admired Pei Zhi. Be it his style of doing things or the way he handled problems, he was worth learning from. After Feng Yunjie was done being infatuated, she sighed and said, ¡°I wonder who will win his heart in the end.¡± Lin Jiao silently picked up the bowl to drink the soup. From the beginning to the end, her reaction was very calm. Feng Yunjie couldn¡¯t help but find it strange. ¡°Lin Jiao, aren¡¯t you curious?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious.¡± Lin Jiao wiped her lips and asked, ¡°Is he not married yet?¡± ¡°No. A person of his status probably will marry a partner who can bring him benefits.¡± ¡°Says who?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what people in the upper-ss society do?¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s capable and rich. He doesn¡¯t need to use marriage to stabilize his status.¡± ¡°But he has to consider the Pei family, right? What if his parents want him to marry another rich girl?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°How do you know?¡± Feng Yunjie looked at her suspiciously, not understanding why she was positive. Lin Jiao, who almost exposed herself, blinked innocently. She looked at her and said, ¡°It¡¯s just my guess.¡± ¡°You scared me.¡± Feng Yunjie patted her chest. ¡°I thought you knew the Pei family.¡± Lin Jiao smiled but did not say anything. Seeing that Feng Yunjie was almost done eating, she stood up and said, ¡°Yunjie, I¡¯ll go out and buy something.¡± ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± ¡°No, go back and rest.¡± Watching her disappear in the elevator, Lin Jiao heaved a sigh of relief and followed the GPS to a nearby cafe. She ordered a cup of cappino and leanedfortably on the sofa to video call Pei Yn. ¡°Yn, are you feeling better?¡± After Pei Yn drank cocktails that day, her period was brought forward. Coupled with her abdominal pain, she had to take a sick day today. ¡°I¡¯m feeling worse.¡± She rubbed her eyes and rolled over lifelessly. ¡°That prick Chu Yuzhou is messing with me.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°He snitched on me to my parents. I¡¯m doomed!¡± ¡°Did you offend him?¡± The Chu and Pei families were not only old friends, but also neighbors. Logically speaking, the rtionship between the younger generation should be very close. However, Pei Yn and Chu Yuzhou did not get along. They bickered and dissed each other whenever they met. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with him. The moment he came to my house, he said that I treated Uncle as a gigolo and even insulted him.¡± ¡°Seriously? Did you really do that?¡± ¡°Of course not!¡± Pei Yn looked guilty and then said excitedly, ¡°That¡¯s my uncle. How would I dare?¡± Seeing her reaction, Lin Jiao knew that Chu Yuzhou had a lot of evidence to prove what he said. ¡°Did he say anything about how you insulted your uncle?¡± ¡°He said I threw a card at Uncle¡¯s face.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s voice became softer and weaker. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that was the case.¡± At the thought of that scene, Lin Jiao was worried for her. No matter how good-tempered Pei Zhi was, he would surely get angry at being treated as such by his niece. She suggested, ¡°Although you shouldn¡¯t be held ountable for what you said while you were drunk, you¡¯d better go and apologize.¡± Pei Yn knew very well that Chu Yuzhou would not joke about this. She just did not want to face the truth. She sighed and stopped talking. ¡°Jiaojiao, you know how afraid of him I am.¡± Chapter 13 Meeting Him As His Employee ¡°He doesn¡¯t eat people, does he?¡± Lin Jiao looked at her troubled expression and wanted tough. ¡°Don¡¯t scare yourself.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m still afraid.¡± ¡°Then talk to him on WeChat?¡± ¡°Will it work?¡± Pei Yn expressed her doubts, frowning. ¡°Should be alright.¡± Lin Jiaoforted her. ¡°When are you going toe to thepany?¡± ¡°Thursday.¡± Pei Yn brushed her messy hair away and took two sips of water. ¡°How do you feel today?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Are there any handsome men in your department?¡± ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t pay attention to that.¡± Pei Yn kept talking nonsense. Lin Jiao made an excuse and hung up. Seeing that it was still early, she went back to nap. The air conditioner in the nning department was on full st. Shey on the table for a moment and felt a chill run down her spine. No longer sleepy, she opened Taobao. Just as she was about to buy two nkets and pillows, another message popped up on WeChat. Pei Zhi: ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Shopping on Taobao.¡± Lin Jiao answered truthfully, not forgetting to show concern for him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you take an afternoon nap?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an afternoon nap habit.¡± Staring at theputer screen, Pei Zhi was lost in deep thought for a moment before asking, ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°I want to treat you to a meal.¡± Only then did Lin Jiao remember that she still owed him a meal. ¡°Let me treat you.¡± ¡°Lin,e over for a moment.¡± Wu Xiuwen lowered his voice to call her to avoid disturbing his other colleagues. He handed a stack of documents to her. ¡°Send this to Assistant Qu on the top floor.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao walked to the top floor as quickly as possible. Qu Shao was stunned when he saw her. He stared at her work pass and looked at it several times. ¡°Miss Lin, when did you join us?¡± ¡°Today.¡± ¡°No wonder¡­¡± Lin Jiao did not hear what he was muttering. She ced the documents in front of him and said in a respectful tone, ¡°Manager Wu asked me to give these to you.¡± ¡°Miss Lin, you don¡¯t have to be so¡­ respectful.¡± ¡°Alright, you can just call me Lin too.¡± Qu Shao pointed at the CEO¡¯s office diagonally opposite. ¡°I still have a video conference to attend. Can you help me send these in?¡± Of course, Lin Jiao would not refuse. She stood in front of the CEO¡¯s office and tidied her clothes and hair before knocking on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± The man¡¯s deep voice sounded. Lin Jiao pressed the door handle and slowly walked to the table. He was staring at something on the table and did not even look up at her. ¡°President Pei.¡± A voice that he remembered by heart sounded in his ear. Pei Zhi suddenly looked up and saw that beautiful face. Her outfit today was especially different. A satin white shirt gave her an aura of a professional officedy, but the water blue A-line skirt, on the other hand, added a tinge of cuteness to her overall professional outfit. Pei Zhi¡¯s gazended on those long legs for a few seconds, and the darkness in her eyes disappeared. He looked into her eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you wereing to Sheng Heng?¡± Lin Jiao pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down. ¡°I was afraid you¡¯d pull some strings to help me.¡± Chapter 14 Don¡¯t Be Afraid With Me Around Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve indeed thought about it.¡± His gaze became gentler. ¡°But with your ability, you don¡¯t need my help.¡± Sheng Heng Corp had a high threshold. She was a graduate student without much work experience. The fact that she could sessfully pass the interview was enough to exin everything. ¡°Stop praising me. I haven¡¯t even yet familiarized myself with all the projects Sheng Heng Corp is involved in.¡± ¡°That can wait. You still have a lot of time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Jiao took the water from him and took a sip. ¡°I¡¯ll start making proposals next week.¡± ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°A little. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to do it well.¡± ¡°You have to believe in yourself.¡± Pei Zhi wanted to rub the top of her head, but he was afraid that she might find it too abrupt, so he thought better of it. He said gently, ¡°No matter what the oue is, what you learn in the process is the most important.¡± His voice seemed to give people strength, making Lin Jiao feel less stressed out. She smiled faintly, ¡°President Pei, you are right.¡± Seeing that the worry in her eyes had disappeared, Pei Zhi was slightly relieved. He looked at the stack of documents and asked, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Lin Jiao hadn¡¯t looked at it yet. ¡°Manager Wu asked me to send it up.¡± ¡°For me?¡± ¡°He asked me to give it to Brother Qu, but Brother Qu said he has a video conference to attend.¡± Pei Zhi understood what was going on. He flipped through it and brought the conversation back to their previous conversation on WeChat. ¡°Qu Shao has booked the restaurant. You can treat me to a meal another day.¡± ¡°That works.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯lle and find you after work.¡± ¡°Wait for me in the parking lot.¡± Lin Jiao did not want to attract too much attention, especially since she had just joined thepany. Pei Zhi understood her worry. ¡°Alright.¡± He looked at the time on the screen. ¡°I¡¯ll send you a message at six.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. She stood up and said in a clear voice, ¡°President Pei, if there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll go back first.¡± He suppressed the emotions in his eyes and nodded slightly. When the figure disappeared from his sight, he closed his eyes and leaned against the chair, letting the joy that had been suppressed for a long time overwhelm him. * In the evening, the sky was glowing. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the French windows and onto the desks in the nning department. Lin Jiao looked out of the window. Her long eyshes fluttered slightly, casting ayer of shadow on her lower eyelids. Feng Yunjie, who turned to talk to her, was stunned for a moment by her beauty. ¡°Lin Jiao, aren¡¯t you leaving?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait a while.¡± ¡°Are you waiting for someone to pick you up?¡± In order to avoid bing the topic of gossip, Lin Jiao quickly exined, ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± ¡°Oh, I understand. No boyfriend as of today.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. She shouldn¡¯t have exined. Feng Yunjie touched up her lipstick and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave first. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao put away the things. After receiving Pei Zhi¡¯s message, she looked around and took the elevator to the underground parking lot. There were many cars parked in Sheng Heng¡¯s underground parking lot. Lin Jiao searched for a long time, but she could not find the A3 sign. Seeing that she was wandering around like a lost deer, Pei Zhi chuckled and shook his head helplessly. He got out of the car. ¡°Lin Jiao, over here.¡± Hearing his voice, Lin Jiao turned around and realized that he was pretty much right in front of her. She immediately walked over. ¡°The signs here are so small. I¡¯m dazzled.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to change it tomorrow.¡± Pei Zhi opened the passenger door for her gentlemanly. He checked her seat belt before stepping on the gas. ¡°It¡¯s a little congested around here. Rest for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao happened to be a little sleepy. She adjusted the seat andy on her side with her back facing the sun. Under the silence and peace of mind, she quickly fell asleep. The A-line dress she was wearing was pulled up a little because of this posture. Her fair legs were especially eye-catching under the sun. While waiting for the traffic light, Pei Zhi took a nket from the backseat and covered her body. Firstly, he was afraid that she would catch a cold in the air conditioned car. Secondly, he didn¡¯t want to be distracted by this pair of white and slender legs. He drove very slowly. The journey that should have taken fifteen minutes was dyed to half an hour so that she could sleep soundly. When Lin Jiao was woken up, there was only a little bit of lingering sunlight on the horizon. She asked in a sleepy tone, ¡°Uncle, what are we eating?¡± ¡°French cuisine.¡± When she looked over, he said matter-of-factly, ¡°This restaurant was rated three Michelin starsst year. It¡¯s not bad.¡± Lin Jiao unbuckled her seat belt. ¡°Do youe here often?¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± Pei Zhi got out of the car and went to the other side. He nced at her high heels and slowed down his pace. ¡°Chu Yuzhou knows the chef here. I¡¯ve been here with him twice.¡± Lin Jiao nodded understandingly. ¡°Did they take long to serve?¡± ¡°Not long.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± She didn¡¯t like waiting. No matter how much she liked something, if she had to wait for a long time, she would be put off. ¡°Lin Jiao, don¡¯t be distracted while walking.¡± Just as she was about to hit the doorpost, Pei Zhi stopped her. Lin Jiao blushed in embarrassment as her thoughts were pulled back. She followed Pei Zhi into the restaurant and stopped when she passed by a ss floor that was almost five meters tall. Below the ss floor was a small artificial stream. The water in the stream was clear and filled with colorful kois. This may strike others as pleasing to the eyes. However, when it came to Lin Jiao, there was only fear. She didn¡¯t dare to look down at the stream. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bring myself to cross it.¡± Pei Zhi remembered that she had acrophobia. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The ss is strong here. You won¡¯t fall into the stream.¡± ¡°What if it copses?¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips, fixing her eyes on him. Pei Zhi sensed her uneasiness and fear. He leaned down, keeping his eyes level with hers, and asked in a coaxing tone, ¡°I¡¯ll hold you and cross it with you together, okay?¡± Lin Jiao frowned, looking conflicted. ¡°I¡¯m here. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± He held out a hand and waited patiently for her to make a decision. Chapter 15 Holding Hands and Getting Closer Lin Jiao hesitated for a moment before slowly cing her hand on his palm and holding it tightly. She pressed against his arm and took a step under his lead. The moment she stepped onto the ss floor, her body stiffened. ¡°Do you know where that painting came from?¡± Pei Zhi raised his chin at the wall on the left, trying to divert her attention. ¡°I do.¡± Lin Jiao was very interested in paintings. Although she was not talented in that aspect, she liked going to galleries to appreciate paintings. When she talked about this topic, her fear was obviously reduced. Pei Zhi held her hand and helped her cross the ss floor. Only when the waiter came over did he let go of his hand. While waiting for Lin Jiao to finish ordering, he asked, ¡°Whose work do you like the most?¡± ¡°ude M.¡± Lin Jiao moved the chair forward. ¡°He has a particrly good grasp of the changes in light and color.¡± Pei Zhi did not know much about ude M. ¡°Um, I admire his perseverance.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Lin Jiao felt like she had found a soulmate. She expressed her admiration for M with an enthusiastic gaze and said with a sigh, ¡°It¡¯s a pity I haven¡¯t seen his real work.¡± ¡°I think he has some of his work sitting at the Mus¨¦e d¡¯Orsay. Shall we go together sometime?¡± ¡°In Paris?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi looked into her clear eyes and could tell that she was seriously considering it. Lin Jiao rested her chin on her hand. ¡°When do you have time?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be in November at the earliest.¡± Pei Zhi was not like those CEOs on television who could take long vacations at will. He had a lot to think about. Even when taking vacation, he still needed to spend time arranging everything. ¡°Then let¡¯s set it in November.¡± Lin Jiao was overjoyed at the thought of seeing M¡¯s real work with her own eyes. Just as Pei Zhi was thinking about how to create beautiful memories that only belonged to the two of them, he was pulled back to reality. ¡°It just so happens that Yn wants to go to Paris too.¡± Pei Zhi was speechless. It seemed like he had to think of a way to ¡®deal¡¯ with that annoying niece first. Pei Zhi picked up his knife and fork and cut the foie gras that the waiter had just served. He pushed it in front of her. ¡°Try it.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s appetite was aroused. During this meal, she ate much more than usual. ¡°Do you want to eat anything else?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± Pei Yuan chuckled. ¡°Alright.¡± He stood up and walked to her side. ¡°Do you want me to hold your hand?¡± Lin Jiao was stunned. ¡°What?¡± Pei Zhi reached out a hand. ¡°What do you think?¡± Lin Jiao reacted and held the hand without hesitation, walking to the ss floor with him. She still did not dare to look down. ¡°Uncle.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°I might have eaten too much. My legs are weak.¡± The moment she said that, Pei Zhi recalled how drunk she looked that day at the bar. ¡°Do you want me to give you a piggyback?¡± ¡°No.¡± She was afraid the ss wouldn¡¯t hold the weight of two people. ¡°Just hold my shoulder and walk faster.¡± Pei Zhi listened to her. He held her shoulders and pulled her into his arms like she was a treasure while quickening his pace. Chapter 16 A Happy Date For Both of Them She gripped the corner of his shirt tightly. The moment she walked out of the ss floor, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Are you still feeling bloated?¡± Pei Zhi pulled his hand back at the right time. When he looked down at her, his eyes were filled with smiles. ¡°A little.¡± Lin Jiao touched the tip of her nose awkwardly. She walked down the steps outside the restaurant and followed the way she came. ¡°Uncle, are you going back to the old mansion?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then where are you staying?¡± ¡°Red Maple Forest.¡± Pei Zhi looked at the two shadows on the stone path. He enjoyed being alone with her. ¡°Red Maple Forest is in front of my house, right?¡± ¡°Yes, very close to where you live.¡± There was a gentleness in his eyes, like a spring breeze brushing past her face. She had never met anyone like Pei Zhi. When he did not smile, his aura was powerful and made people submit for no reason. However, when he smiled, he was as approachable as the big brother next door. He seemed to have two personalities, but when the two personalities came together, they gave him a charm that no one else could have. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± Seeing that she was in a daze, looking at him, Pei Zhi smiled even more brightly. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then what are you thinking?¡± Lin Jiao quickly thought of something. ¡°I was just thinking about the housing price in Red Maple Forest.¡± Pei Zhi knew this wasn¡¯t what was on her mind, but he didn¡¯t expose her. He pressed the car key and opened the passenger door for her. ¡°It went up at the beginning of the year. It¡¯s about sixty thousand per square now.¡± ¡°That expensive?¡± ¡°When has the housing price near the CBD ever been cheap? Ming Xin Mansion went up too.¡± ¡°By how much?¡± ¡°About five or six thousand.¡± Lin Jiao put on her seatbelt and waited for him to get in. She opened the drawer and took out two bottles of water. ¡°If I had known, I would have rented out my apartment.¡± Pei Zhi said ambiguously, ¡°You can rent it after you get married.¡± He unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and handed it to her. ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not gonna happen anytime soon.¡± ¡°Not necessarily. Fate is hard to say.¡± Lin Jiao did notment. She had just experienced a failed rtionship and did not know if her scarred heart could still amodate another person. Instead of looking forward to an illusory marriage, it was better to achieve something in her career first. At least, it was more beneficial to her. ¡°Tired?¡± The light in the car was dim, and Pei Zhi could not see her expression clearly, so he thought she was tired. Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°Not really.¡± She looked out the window at the shing neon lights. Although she said that she wasn¡¯t tired, her eyelids drooped a momentter. Pei Zhi did not make a sound to disturb her. He slowed down the car, hoping that this journey would be longer. However, no matter how long it was, it would end. The moment the brakes were pressed, Lin Jiao woke up. ¡°Uncle, thank you.¡± She rubbed her eyes and smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m very happy tonight.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± He was happy too. Pei Zhi watched her disappear into the building. He lit a cigarette, the smile in his eyes was covered by the smoke rising from the cigarette. However, the joy on his face was too obvious to be concealed. * Their ¡°date¡± piqued Qu Shao¡¯s curiosity. The following day, he came to thepany earlier than usual to wait. He waited and waited until 9 am when he finally saw Pei Zhi. ¡°President, good morning!¡± Pei Zhi nced at him. He pushed open the door of his office, opened the breakfast he had been carrying, and sat at the table to enjoy it. It was just an extremely ordinary roasted wheat and egg, but he ate it like it was a delicacy. Qu Shao had been with him for four years, so he could tell something was different with his boss today. ¡°President, did youe with Miss Lin?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Did she buy this breakfast for you too?¡± ¡°You want to eat it?¡± Pei Zhi raised the egg and took another bite in front of him. He deliberately slowed down his eating, as if he was showing off to Qu Shao. Qu Shao did not know what was there to show off about an egg. It was not like he could not afford it. He pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I had a pancake this morning. President, did you have fun with herst night?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Any intimate interactions?¡± Pei Zhi cracked another egg at the corner of the table and peeled it open. ¡°Does holding hands count?¡± Qu Shao gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Good job. At this rate, it won¡¯t be long before you marry her.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± ¡°Then do you want to eat with her at noon? I¡¯ll think of a way to get her toe up.¡± Pei Zhi pondered for a moment. ¡°No need.¡± He swallowed the egg in his mouth and picked up the coffee cup. ¡°I haven¡¯t been to the cafeteria for a long time.¡± Qu Shao understood immediately. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± This was why Pei Zhi was most satisfied with this assistant. ¡°Go ahead.¡± He finished his breakfast and was about to send a message to Lin Jiao when a message popped out. Pei Yn, ¡°Hello, my dear uncle! Please allow me to apologize for what happened at the barst time! Because of my drunkenness, I said something that I shouldn¡¯t have. I deeply understand the seriousness of the matter¡­ Please forgive me! Sincerely Yours, your name.¡± Pei Yuan ignored therge paragraph in the middle. He stared at the name at the end and sneered. ¡°Did you change your name?¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did I change my name?¡± After Pei Yn sent this message, she noticed the words ¡®your name¡¯. She held her heart that was about to stop beating and quickly pressed the retract button. Pei Zhi, ¡°Remember to check it before you copy and paste the sample next time. Smiley face.¡± With that, he blocked her. No matter how Pei Yn apologized, she could not get any response. She was in deep frustration and regret. Chapter 17 The Feeling of Being in a Secret Love At lunchtime, Sheng Heng¡¯s cafeteria was packed. Before Lin Jiao could pick up her favorite food, she heard Feng Yunjie¡¯s excited shout. ¡°Lin Jiao, look!¡± She elbowed Lin Jiao¡¯s forearm and raised her chin to the right. ¡°The president is here!¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s appearance was like a stone thrown onto a calmke, causing a ripple, making all the employees in the cafeteria look over. They looked at him with admiration and respect. Lin Jiao met his deep and dark eyes. When he walked over slowly, she called out softly , ¡°President Pei.¡± Pei Zhi nodded calmly. He took the te from Qu Shao and did not talk to her much. After filling up his te, he picked a seat on her right. ¡°President, here¡¯s your soup.¡± When Qu Shao brought the bowl over, he nced at Lin Jiao unintentionally. He wanted tough but did not dare to. Pei Zhi ate slowly. The sun poured down from the window andnded on his exquisite face. As he lowered his head to eat, his eyshes fluttered like a feather brushing past the hearts of the female employees present. Feng Yunjie was wide-mouthed in infatuation. She stared at Pei Zhi, as if she could see the halo around him. It was mysterious and tempting. Lin Jiao felt that she was about to drool. ¡°Yunjie, eat first.¡± She reminded her in a low voice to avoid being heard by Pei Zhi. ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡± ¡°¡­ The food is getting cold.¡± Feng Yunjie came back to her senses and stopped looking to the right. She pushed aside the hair hanging on the table and blinked at Lin Jiao. ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, did I?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao knew what she was referring to. Her gazended on Pei Zhi, thinking that no one with a normal sense of beauty would deny the fact that he was charming and attractive. Pei Zhi caught her gaze and turned around. He swallowed the food in his mouth and asked gently, ¡°Do you have some tissue?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao put down her chopsticks. When she handed him the tissue, she identally touched his fingertips. She felt as numb as if she had been electrocuted. Seeing that she was avoiding eye contact, afraid that others would find out about their ¡®rtionship¡¯, Pei Zhi had a strange feeling that he was in a secret love with his employee. He smiled. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Jiao buried her head in her food. She tried to calm her racing heart and only managed to do it when Pei Zhi left with Qu Shao. ¡°Lin Jiao, you don¡¯t look right!¡± Feng Yunjie¡¯s words shocked Lin Jiao. She pretended not to understand. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You were blushing when you handed President Pei the tissue.¡± ¡°Was I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Feng Yunjie narrowed her eyes. ¡°Tell me the truth. Are you infatuated with his beauty?¡± Lin Jiao heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes, indeed, I was.¡± She patted her flushed cheeks and regained herposure. Feng Yunjie had an expression that said, ¡°I knew it all.¡± On their way back to the nning department, she said, ¡°It¡¯s normal to like his looks, but don¡¯t have any other thoughts.¡± ¡°What kind of thoughts?¡± ¡°Like bing his girlfriend or lover.¡± Lin Jiao cleared her throat and asked calmly, ¡°How can I have that kind of thoughts?¡± Chapter 18 Unreliable Love at First Sight Seeing that she really did not have any thoughts about that, Feng Yunjie was relieved and started to gossip with her about the design department. The gossip was basically about a female colleague who failed to seduce Pei Zhi and was fired. ¡°She¡¯s that bold?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that she was wearing a very sexy dress at that time. However, as soon as she entered the CEO¡¯s office, she was asked to leave by Assistant Qu.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow and did notment. ¡°I don¡¯t think that happens often, right?¡± ¡°Of course, who would dare?¡± Feng Yunjie walked with her to the resting area. ¡°But there are still many female colleagues who like him.¡± ¡°Well, he can¡¯t stop people from liking him, can he?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. He¡¯s just too excellent.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. When she saw that there were other colleagues in the resting area, she stopped talking about Pei Zhi. ¡°Lin Jiao, where did you buy that dress?¡± Wang Rui was stunned by the ck dress. ¡°Miumiu store.¡± ¡°How much is it?¡± Lin Jiao took a moment to recall. ¡°About 30,000 yuan.¡± ¡°That expensive?¡± Wang Rui touched thece on her sleeve and was puzzled. ¡°I think the quality is average.¡± ¡°What do you know?¡± Sun Feiyu crossed her legs and sized up Lin Jiao. She smiled meaningfully. ¡°These luxury dresses are all about brands. Who cares about quality?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not worth it.¡± ¡°Rich people don¡¯t care about money. Do you think everyone is like us who needs to consider and reconsider buying a dress for a few days?¡± When Lin Jiao heard this, she felt that Sun Feiyu was mocking her for being stupidly rich. She didn¡¯t get triggered. Instead, she said calmly, ¡°No matter what clothes you buy, it¡¯s all up to you. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s expensive or cheap. It¡¯s enough as long as it can make you happy.¡± ¡°Well said,¡± Wang Rui agreed. She retracted her gaze from the dress and turned to look at Sun Feiyu, whose expression had changed slightly. ¡°I remember that you sell fake goods. Am I right?¡± Sun Feiyu blushed almost instantly. ¡°What are you talking about? You must be mistaken.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Didn¡¯t you just buy a LV bagst month? You told me about it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fake. That¡¯s a genuine one.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Wang Rui did not dwell on this topic and asked, ¡°Then do you have any friends who sell fake goods?¡± ¡°No.¡± Sun Feiyu refused to admit it. She did not want to embarrass herself again. ¡°Go on Taobao. There is a bunch of fake stuff.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wang Rui really opened Taobao. She searched for a few keywords but could not find the dress. She could only say to Lin Jiao, ¡°Can I take a photo of your dress?¡± Lin Jiao agreed. After she finished modeling, she turned around and left with the cup of freshly brewed ck tea. She did not even look at Sun Feiyu. When she returned to her desk, Feng Yunjie leaned over. She clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Not only is Sun Feiyu hypocritical, but her private life is also very messy. Don¡¯t lower yourself to her level.¡± Lin Jiao frowned. ¡°How do you know?¡± ¡°I saw a few different men pick her up after work.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t prove anything.¡± ¡°Anyway, she doesn¡¯t have a good reputation.¡± Feng Yunjie took out an afternoon pillow andy on it. ¡°Just stay away from her.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Lin Jiao answered tly. When they were in the resting room, Feng Yunjie did not say a word to defend Lin Jiao and just watched the show. She had never expected to make friends in a business world filled with benefits, and she did not like Feng Yunjie¡¯s habit of gossiping after watching a show. * Pei Yn came to thepany on Thursday. After having her lunch, she went to the restaurant where she and Lin Jiao had agreed to meet up. She walked leisurely. When she passed by an alley, she was suddenly pulled in by a strong hand. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Jiang Ye covered her mouth in time. He looked out and saw the group of people were still chasing after him. He turned around and pressed Pei Yn against the wall. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not a bad person.¡± He was dressed neatly and cleanly, and his voice was surprisingly pleasant. Pei Yn looked up subconsciously. When she met that extraordinarily handsome face, her heart skipped a beat. She stared at him intently. She felt she had been shot by Cupid¡¯s arrow, making her mesmerized and forget to struggle. ¡°My apology.¡± Jiang Ye let go of her a momentter. He looked at her and took two steps back clumsily. ¡°I was chased by some people just now,¡± he exined. Pei Yn tilted her head and took a deep breath. She brushed back the hair at her temple and tidied her dress in adylike manner. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Is there anything else I can help you with?¡± Jiang Ye shook his head. ¡°Thank you.¡± At this moment, a MPV stopped outside the alley. A fierce-looking man pushed open the car door and waved at Jiang Ye. ¡°Get in!¡± ¡°I have to go.¡± Jiang Ye pressed down the baseball cap on his head and gave her a charming smile before leaving. Pei Yn was stunned for a long time. It was only when Lin Jiao called her that she came back to her senses and walked out of the alley reluctantly. ¡°Jiaojiao, I think I¡¯m in love.¡± She took the coffee from Lin Jiao and couldn¡¯t stop smiling foolishly. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Lin Jiao choked on the coffee. She looked at Pei Yn¡¯s unfocused eyes. ¡°Who are you in love with?¡± Why didn¡¯t she know anything about it? Pei Yn told her what happened at the alley. Lin Jiao was speechless. ¡°You mean you fell in love with him at first sight?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Do you know his name?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Pei Yn did not care. Instead, she said confidently, ¡°But I have a way to find him.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°The people who chased him just now are probably his enemies or creditors. I¡¯ll know after screening the nearby casinos and loanpanies.¡± Lin Jiao had reason to suspect that her friend was blinded by love. She frowned and rained on her parade. ¡°What if he¡¯s a murderer?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Pei Yn waved her hand and analyzed in a serious tone, ¡°His temperament and behavior don¡¯t look like that of a murderer. At most, he¡¯s a deadbeat.¡± ¡°Murderers are very good at disguising. You might not be able to tell with just your eyes.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Lin Jiao sighed. ¡°I just find it very suspicious.¡± Falling in love with someone who was being hunted down by a group of people. Wasn¡¯t that kind of movie plot? That man was an absolute mystery. She really did not want Pei Yn to take the risk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Pei Yn held her hand. With a serious expression, she promised, ¡°If he¡¯s really a criminal, I definitely stay away from him!¡± Lin Jiao was silent for a moment. ¡°Are you sure you want to find him?¡± Chapter 19 Mrs. Lin fainted from anger ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Pei Yn made up her mind. She looked at the alley diagonally opposite. ¡°Jiaojiao, I don¡¯t want to leave any regrets even if I might be wrong.¡± Lin Jiao had no intention of stopping her anymore. She followed her gaze. ¡°The shops nearby are all equipped with surveince cameras. You can bribe them and check the camera footage.¡± At least, it was better than going to the casino alone. Pei Yn was enlightened. ¡°Jiaojiao, you are smart!¡± She blinked. ¡°Let¡¯se back after work?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao would feel more at ease keeping an eye on her. She ced her fair fingers on the coffee cup that was covered in ayer of water vapor. ¡°How¡¯s everything in the PR department?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Sheng Heng will have a new productunch next month. I think you¡¯ll be busy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Yn turned her head to the side and stretched her neck. Her eyes lit up as she said, ¡°That¡¯s why I have to find him as soon as possible!¡± She went back to the topic again¡­ Lin Jiao¡¯s ear was buzzing from listening to her talking about her crush. When she finally ended the conversation, there was not much left of the two-hour lunch break. ¡°Jiaojiao, see you after work!¡± Pei Yn said goodbye to her in the elevator. For some reason, she was exuding the aura of someone in love. Lin Jiao smiled faintly. ¡°Okay.¡± When she returned to the nning department and was going through the electronic documents, she received a message from Pei Zhi. ¡°Have you woken up from your nap yet?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take a nap. I just had coffee with Yn.¡± When Pei Zhi saw this, he remembered his niece, who had been blocked by him for a few days. ¡°Did shee to work?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± After typing, Lin Jiao sent a confused emoji. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Of course, even if she did, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see it. Pei Zhi did not want to talk about his niece, so he changed the topic. ¡°Have you finished reading thepany¡¯s product information?¡± Lin Jiao sent a nodding emoji. ¡°Not bad, your progress is very fast.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lin Jiao stared at the word ¡°typing¡± on the chat box. Just as she was waiting for him to reply, an unknown number came in. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Afraid that she would hang up, Gu Quan spoke faster than usual. ¡°Auntie Lan fainted.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± ¡°I was on my way sending Su Tian to the beauty salon when I bumped into her. She thought¡­¡± He did not finish his sentence, but Lin Jiao understood. She asked Gu Quan for the address and went to the manager¡¯s office to apply for leave before rushing down. ¡°Miss Lin?¡± Qu Shao bumped into her in the hall. When he didn¡¯t get a response from Lin Jiao, he went up to stop her out of worry. ¡°Miss Lin, did something happen?¡± Lin Jiao called an Uber driver on the phone but the request hadn¡¯t been epted. Therefore, when she heard Qu Shao¡¯s voice, she felt like she had found her savior. ¡°Brother Qu, can you send me to the hospital?¡± ¡°Which hospital?¡± ¡°Ren De.¡± Qu Shao agreed without thinking. He brought Lin Jiao to the parking lot to get his car. After understanding the situation, heforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your mother will be fine.¡± Lin Jiao nodded, still worried. She swiped the screen and turned it off. She repeated the same action several times but could not calm down. ¡°Brother Qu, how long will it take?¡± ¡°About ten minutes.¡± ¡°Good.¡± After she sat down, Qu Shao stepped on the elerator and drove her to the hospital as quickly as possible. Chapter 20 Are You Still ming Me? Outside the ward at the end of the third floor. A little boy in a ck and white striped T-shirt leaned against the wall and red at Gu Quan fiercely. ¡°Why did you cheat?¡± This was the third time he had asked. Gu Quan did not spend much time with him, but in his impression, he had always been a good child. He was not as annoying and stubborn as he was now. He repeated, ¡°I didn¡¯t cheat.¡± ¡°But you hugged her.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my girlfriend. Why can¡¯t I hug her?¡± Xue Jing clenched his fists, his eyes filled with anger. ¡°What about my sister then?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up.¡± ¡°Why did you break up?¡± Gu Quan could not give a reason. He frowned. Seeing that Xue Jing was not going to give up until he got an answer, he said, ¡°You¡¯ll understand it when you grow up.¡± Xue Jing gritted his teeth, wishing he could pull out his hair. ¡°You cheated on my sister.¡± ¡°Think what you want.¡± Gu Quan could not be bothered with a little brat. He looked in the direction of the elevator and subconsciously stood up when he saw the familiar figure. ¡°How¡¯s my mother?¡± Lin Jiao ran in a hurry. If not for the fact that she had to hold on to the wall to stabilize herself, she would¡¯ve probably copsed. Her anxious and helpless look made people pity her and want to protect her. Gu Quan said softly, ¡°Auntie Lan identally knocked herself when she fainted. The doctor said that she has a slight concussion, but it¡¯s not a big problem.¡± ¡°Then why isn¡¯t she awake yet?¡± ¡°She just finished taking the drug. I think she¡¯ll wake up after a while.¡± Lin Jiao gradually calmed down. She lowered her head and her gazended on Xue Jing, who was holding the corner of her dress. She picked him up and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t be afraid, Jing.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± He was very brave. Xue Jing reached out his two chubby hands and patted her shoulder, then muttered softly, ¡°Sister, ask him to leave.¡± Lin Jiao looked sideways at Gu Quan. There was no emotion in her eyes, as if the person standing opposite her was just a stranger. ¡°Sorry to trouble you today.¡± Although this happened because of him. However, if he ignored her mother at the critical moment, Xue Jing, a five-year-old child, really couldn¡¯t handle the situation well. ¡°It¡¯s what I should do.¡± Gu Quan met her hostile gaze and his heart tightened. ¡°How much is the medical fee?¡± Lin Jiao did not think that this was what he should do. She didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with him. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Two thousand eight hundred in total.¡± Two voices spoke at the same time. As soon as Qu Shao entered the hospital, he went to ask the receptionist. After knowing that the fee had been settled by a ¡°Mr. Gu¡±, he quickly ran over. He secretly sized up Gu Quan and said coldly, ¡°Cash or card?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, who is he?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± Gu Quan was dumbstruck. He knew that she didn¡¯t want to owe him, so he epted the money, but he didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Jiaojiao, let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°I have nothing to say to you.¡± ¡°Are you still ming me?¡± Lin Jiao sneered. ¡°Gu Quan, you think too highly of yourself.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡­¡± ¡°Stop talking. Please leave.¡± There were also nurses and patientsing and going. Gu Quan did not want to kick up a fuss, so he left unwillingly. As soon as he left, Xue Jing snorted and looked at Lin Jiao with his dark eyes. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll protect you from now on.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao felt sweet inside. She rubbed Xue Jing¡¯s head. Hearing him talk about good friends from the ss, her anxious heart gradually calmed down. Twenty minutester, Lan Ying woke up. Lin Jiao guessed that she had something to ask, so she handed Xue Jing to Qu Shao. ¡°Jing, y with me Brother Qu for a while.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Xue Jing reached out to grab Qu Shao¡¯s hand. When the door was closed, he looked up at the tall man. ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with my sister?¡± ¡°We¡¯re colleagues.¡± ¡°Do you like my sister?¡± Qu Shao was shocked. ¡°How is that possible?¡± He picked up Xue Jing. ¡°I don¡¯t like her!¡± Xue Jing was very satisfied with this answer. However, seeing that he was in such a hurry to refute, he felt puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t my sister good?¡± ¡°She¡¯s good, but I¡¯m not good enough for her.¡± ¡°But why?¡± ¡°No why.¡± Qu Shao did not want to talk about this with a boy. He seized the opportunity and said, ¡°Kid, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How did Gu Quan make your mother faint?¡± Xue Jing frowned, his eyes filled with hesitation. ¡°If I tell you, will you tell anyone?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯ll definitely keep it a secret.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really!¡± He would tell no one except his boss. Xue Jing was a child after all, so he was easily fooled. ¡°He cheated on my sister. Mom and I saw it with our own eyes.¡± Qu Shao almost burst out cursing. Just thinking about the scene made him angry. ¡°He¡¯s an as*hole!¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°That means he¡¯s worse than a dog. Do you understand?¡± Xue Jing thought of the dog that liked to bark at him and nodded in agreement. ¡°He¡¯s even more annoying than a dog!¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Qu Shao agreed. After reporting the situation to Pei Zhi on WeChat, he was about to bring him downstairs. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you ice cream.¡± Hearing this, Xue Jing¡¯s eyes lit up. He looked back. After making sure that the door was shut and no one could hear him, he whispered into Qu Shao¡¯s ear, ¡°I want to eat chocte vored ice cream.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Qu Shao strode to the elevator. As the sound of footsteps gradually disappeared, the silence was broken inside the ward. ¡°Jiaojiao, what¡¯s going on between you and Gu Quan?¡± Lan Ying, who was lying on the bed, looked worried. She had taken good care of herself. Even though she was middle-aged, there were hardly any wrinkles on her face. ¡°We broke up.¡± ¡°Is it because of that girl?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Lin Jiao lowered her eyes, her long eyshes hiding all her sorrows. ¡°He never liked me from the beginning to the end.¡± Lan Ying was silent for a moment. She remembered how happy Lin Jiao was when she told her two years ago that she was dating Gu Quan. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault.¡± Lan Ying¡¯s eyes were wet. Her heart ached and she med herself. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for not stopping you back then.¡± ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡± Lin Jiao took a piece of tissue from the tissue box and wiped the corners of her mother¡¯s eyes. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. I¡¯m the one who failed to see through him.¡± Lan Ying had always felt that she was an ipetent mother. Back then, when she divorced Lin Hongyuan, Lin Jiao was given to her grandfather to be taken care of. In the past ten years, they both had a new family and children, and the time they spent on Lin Jiao became less and less. She had missed too much of what happened in Lin Jiao¡¯s life. Once something happened to Lin Jiao, all the regret and guilt that piled up over the years woulde back, overwhelming her. Chapter 21 You Will Meet Someone Better in the Future Lin Jiao knew why she broke down. She bent down and leaned into Lan Ying¡¯s arms affectionately. It took her a long time to stop her mother from self-balming. ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s okay.¡± Lan Ying stopped crying and patted her back. ¡°You¡¯ll meet someone better in the future.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She still believed in love. Just like¡­ believing that the sun would always rise after sunset, even if she was in darkness, she would not reject the light. ¡°Knock, knock¡ª¡± ¡°Sister.¡± Xue Jing, who had returned from eating ice cream, asked softly, ¡°Can Ie in?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lin Jiao stood up. She watched as he pounced on her with his short legs and subconsciously reached out to hug him. Xue Jing ced a hand on the back of her neck and leaned over to look at the bed. ¡°Mom, does your head still hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°So when are we going home?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask the doctor.¡± Lan Ying pinched his cheek. When he got closer to her, she acutely smelled a sweet fragrance. She asked, ¡°Jing, did you eat candy again?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°I can smell it.¡± Xue Jing panicked and admitted, ¡°I ate ice cream.¡± He pointed at the door and said with a smile, ¡°That big brother bought it for me.¡± ¡°Which brother?¡± ¡°Sister¡¯s colleague.¡± Lan Ying did not know anything about Lin Jiao having found a job. Lin Jiao put down Xue Jing. She stood up and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll go out and talk to him first.¡± Lin Jiao took Qu Shao¡¯s phone and walked to the corner. She said to Pei ZHi over the phone, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Did your mother wake up?¡± ¡°Yes, my brother is with her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Pei Zhi originally wanted to go in person, but he was afraid that it would seem too deliberate. He leaned back in his chair. ¡°I heard from Qu Shao that your mother wants to stay in the hospital for observation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao gradually rxed when she heard his voice. ¡°Did you hire a ward assistant?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had time yet.¡± ¡°Then get Qu Shao to help you.¡± Without waiting for her to speak, Pei Zhi continued, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have much to do at thepany anyway. With him helping you, I¡¯ll be at ease.¡± Lin Jiao swallowed her words of rejection. She was silent for a moment before saying with a smile, ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡± ¡°Just treat me to a meal.¡± She had yet to treat him to a meal that she promisedst time. ¡°Thene to my house for dinner tomorrow night?¡± ¡°You cook?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My cooking is not bad.¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Alright.¡± He casually knocked on the back of his phone. ¡°Go ahead and tell me when you get home.¡± Lin Jiao agreed and went back to the ward. She told Qu Shao about what Pei Zhi said and asked him for his bank ount. ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money to you.¡± ¡°Miss Lin, I used thepany funds.¡± Qu Shao was not lying. He put the phone back in his pocket. ¡°I¡¯ll give you the bill after your mother is discharged. Just transfer it to the boss.¡± Lin Jiao did not insist. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Chapter 22 Do You Like My Sister? ¡°Jiaojiao, when can I be discharged?¡± Lan Ying took a bite of the banana Qu Shao bought. ¡°Saturday.¡± ¡°That long?¡± Lin Jiao put Xue Jing, who was drowsy, to sleep and said softly, ¡°The doctor said that he¡¯s afraid that you¡¯ll haveplications and wants you to be hospitalized for observation.¡± If Lan Ying did not retch, it might not be necessary to be hospitalized. But since she did, it was best for her to stay in the hospital for a few more days. She threw away the banana peel. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay for a few more days.¡± ¡°Did Uncle Xuee?¡± ¡°He went to Lin city yesterday. I didn¡¯t tell him.¡± ¡°Are you nning to hide it from him?¡± Lin Jiao pried open Xue Jing¡¯s fist to rescue her hair. ¡°Yeah, he¡¯ll only cause more trouble if hees anyway.¡± The reason why Lan Ying could still have a young girl¡¯s heart was because of her current husband, Xue Taiyao. It was not an exaggeration to say that Xue Taiyao loved his wife as much as his life. He didn¡¯t want her to get hurt or suffer. If he found out about something as ¡®serious¡¯ as a mild concussion, he would definitely make a big deal out of it. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Jiao shivered at the thought of Uncle Xue causing a chaotic scene at the hospital. She looked up. ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring Jing back tonight and send him over tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work tomorrow?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I get up early.¡± Lan Ying had no choice but to agree. She waited for Xue Jing to wake up and reminded him with a serious expression. After getting his promise, she agreed to let him go. Xue Jing was extremely excited along the way. He knelt in the back seat and looked out of the window. ¡°Brother Qu, you¡¯re driving too slowly!¡± ¡°Slowly?¡± Qu Shao nced at him through the rearview mirror and started to fool him again. ¡°It¡¯s already running at full throttle.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m three years old?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already five years old!¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference? still a baby.¡± Xue Jing straightened his neck and retorted, ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± He stared at Qu Shao¡¯s side profile and said seriously, ¡°Teacher said I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Why did your teacher say that you¡¯re not?¡± ¡°Because I like to help others and never bully others. I¡¯m also very obedient¡­¡± Qu Shao was amused by Xue Jing praising himself. He praised him cooperatively. Slowly, he drove into Ming Xin Mansion and stopped at the building. ¡°Miss Lin, I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± Hearing this, Lin Jiao paused and refused. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll take a taxi with Jing.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll being to pick up the boss anyway. It¡¯s on the same route.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much trouble¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Qu Shao waved his hand and smiled. ¡°If I need help in the future, don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Lin Jiao agreed. ¡°Then be careful on the way.¡± She waited for Xue Jing to high-five Qu Shao before opening the car door and getting out with him. ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I think Brother Qu is a very good person.¡± Xue Jing followed her into the elevator and said with a straight face, ¡°Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t like you.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter. When I see Dad, I¡¯ll ask him to find you the best boyfriend in the world!¡± Lin Jiao felt a headacheing on. She pinched Xue Jing¡¯s cheek. ¡°Do you really want me to find a boyfriend?¡± Xue Jing nodded. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be lonely.¡± Without waiting for her to feel touched, he continued, ¡°The television said that lonely people are very miserable.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t feel lonely.¡± Lin Jiao was afraid that he would fall if he wore slippers that did not fit his feet, so she shopped for a pair online. ¡°Jing, do you want to eat snacks?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then choose for yourself.¡± Xue Jing sat on the sofa with her phone in his hand. When he saw the candy column, he pursed his lips and said, ¡°Sister, I want to eat candy.¡± ¡°No way.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just eat one?¡± When Lin Jiao met those pitiful eyes, her heart softened. ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy you one lollipop.¡± ¡°Thank you, Sister!¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She tied up her long hair. ¡°When you¡¯re done choosing, watch TV for a while. I¡¯ll go in and take a shower. I¡¯ll be out soon.¡± Xue Jing agreed readily. He picked a few of his favorite snacks and was about to ce an order when a WeChat message popped up. ¡°Are you home?¡± Xue Jing did not know who this person was, but he could understand the meaning of this message. He thought that it was Qu Shao, so he pressed the voice message button and said, ¡°We¡¯re at home. Sister is taking a shower.¡± Pei Zhi was stunned when he heard a child¡¯s voice. He thought of the photo he had received in the afternoon and spoke to him gently. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Xue Jing replied, he realized that something was wrong. He reyed the voice message and stared at the screen curiously. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°My name is Pei Zhi. I¡¯m a friend of your sister.¡± ¡°Are you her boyfriend?¡± He wished he was. Pei Zhi cleared his throat and said, ¡°No.¡± He waited for a moment, but Xue Jing did not reply. Just as he was about to ask about the situation, he received a video call. When they saw each other, Xue Jing¡¯s round eyes widened. He crossed his legs and moved to the side. The moment he opened his mouth, he praised Pei Zhi, ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re better-looking than the people on television!¡± Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°You look good too.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look good.¡± Xue Jing held his cheek and said thoughtfully, ¡°My mother never screams when she sees me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t grown up yet.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Pei Zhi nodded calmly. He poured some red wine into his ss and swirled it gently. ¡°Are you in elementary school?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m in preschool.¡± ¡°Five years old?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, Big Brother. You¡¯re so smart!¡± After praising him, Xue Jing thought of something important. He secretly nced in the direction of the bathroom and asked softly, ¡°Do you like my sister?¡± Like was not urate enough a word to describe his feelings towards her. Pei Zhi suppressed the emotions in his eyes. Even in front of a child who did not know anything about love, he was still careful not to reveal his emotions. This crush he had on her was like a honeypot with needles hidden in it. Before he was confident, he did not dare to take out the needles in the pot, afraid that it would end before he tasted the sweetness. Pei Zhi drank the red wine and pushed the question back. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± ¡°I want to find a boyfriend for my sister.¡± Xue Jing told him about how he was afraid his sister would be lonely. ¡°Do you like her?¡± Pei Zhi still did not answer. He could not deny his feelings, nor could he admit it easily. He only said, ¡°She has her own thoughts. Don¡¯t rush her.¡± Chapter 23 She Remembered It ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Jing, who are you talking to?¡± Lin Jiao pushed open the bathroom door. She slowly wiped her wet hair and walked to the sofa. ¡°With him.¡± Xue Jing raised his phone. The front camera was aimed at her neck. From Pei Zhi¡¯s angle, he could see a small section of her corbone. He swallowed his saliva and regained hisposure the moment she took the phone. ¡°Uncle?¡± When Lin Jiao saw that it was him, a smile appeared on her face. She walked around the coffee table and sat on the sofa, wiping her hair. ¡°Did Jing disturb you?¡± ¡°No, he¡¯s a good boy.¡± Pei Zhi swirled his wine ss and took another sip. He moved his gaze away from her neck and looked into her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you use a hairdryer?¡± ¡°I want to let it dry naturally for a while.¡± It was inconvenient for Lin Jiao to hold the phone, so she ced it on the coffee table. ¡°Blowing wet hair as soon as you finish washing it is not good for your hair.¡± She wrapped her hair in a towel and rubbed it gently. A few drops of water sshed onto the camera as she moved. Pei Zhi felt the room temperature suddenly increased a few degrees. He lowered his eyes and unbuttoned the two buttons on his shirt with one hand. ¡°Then wipe your hair. I¡¯m going to work out.¡± ¡°Okay, see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Goodnight, Brother!¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Pei Zhi looked at her onest time and hung up without hesitation. He ran on the treadmill to sweat. He tried to use fatigue to keep his imagination from running wild and forget what he saw. He thought that this would give him a good night¡¯s sleep. But unexpectedly¡­ The desire to get her had long been engraved in his heart, weaving dream after dream for him, making him happy and reluctant to wake up. ¡°Boss, I¡¯m downstairs.¡± Qu Shao¡¯s voice was like a drum. The moment it rang in his ears, it brought him back to reality. He lifted the nket and nced expressionlessly at the rumpled bed sheets. ¡°Give me five minutes.¡± ¡°Alright, what do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± ¡°There are steamed buns, fried dough sticks, corn, and¡­¡± Qu Shao was halfway through when Pei Zhi hung up. Qu Shao clicked his tongue and shook his head. He then called Lin Jiao and asked her the same question. The boss would definitely eat whatever she wanted to eat. Pei Zhi went downstairs at the right time. He got into the car and smelled the fragrance of greasy food. When he saw the fried dumplings on the table, he frowned and said, ¡°Is there nothing else for breakfast?¡± ¡°Miss Lin asked me to buy these.¡± Pei Zhi was speechless. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Qu Shao fought back the urge tough and nced back. Pei Zhi narrowed his eyes. ¡°No.¡± He picked up the soy milk cup and took two sips. When he saw the siblings, he distributed the breakfast on the table to them. ¡°Uncle, this is for you.¡± Lin Jiao took out a piece of loaf from her bag. Pei Zhi thought of a possibility. He looked down at the loaf and asked, ¡°Why did you bring me this?¡± Lin Jiao opened the bag of steamed dumplings. ¡°Don¡¯t you dislike eating greasy breakfast?¡± ¡°You remember that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± For a moment, Pei Zhi felt like he had fallen into the sparkling sea and was swayed back and forth by the gentle seawater. He couldn¡¯t find the exact words to describe his feelings, but his pounding heart was a constant reminder that he was happy. Pei Zhi tore open the bag. ¡°Thank you.¡± He took a bite of the loaf and smiled. Chapter 24 Ambiguous Rtionship Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Is it good?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He tasted something sweet. Perhaps because Pei Zhi was too satisfied with the loaf, Xue Jing, who was sitting between them, started drooling. ¡°Big Brother, can I have a piece?¡± ¡°Jing, that¡¯s his breakfast.¡± Lin Jiao raised her chin at the table, reminding him that there was plenty of food on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you next time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Xue Jing nodded listlessly. Seeing that he was craving it, Pei Zhi tore off a piece of loaf and fed it to him. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s share.¡± Xue Jing thanked him. When he tasted the delicious loaf, he looked at him with sparkling eyes. ¡°Big Brother, you haven¡¯t shared it with Sister yet.¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow. The moment Lin Jiao was about to refuse, he fed her a piece of loaf in the same way. When her soft lips touched his finger, it was as if an electric current was running through his body and gradually spreading. Lin Jiao used the tip of her tongue to roll the piece of loaf into her mouth. As she chewed, she held his index finger. She blushed and wiped away the saliva on his fingers. Her voice was soft like a kitten¡¯s. ¡°Uncle, sorry.¡± ¡°I should be the one saying sorry.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My hands are covered in oil.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled to save her from embarrassment. Xue Jing said, ¡°I have oil too.¡± ¡°Wipe it.¡± Lin Jiao took out two wet tissues and handed them to them. The warm atmosphere in the back row made Qu Shao feel like they were a family of three. He did not want to ruin this beautiful moment, but with the logo of Sheng Heng Corp graduallying into sight, he could only drive into the parking lot to remind them that they arrived. ¡°Sister, what time are youing to pick me up?¡± Seeing that she was about to leave, Xue Jing looked sad. ¡°Six o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao pinched his cheek and got out of the car with Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, which way do we go up?¡± ¡°The right way.¡± Pei Zhi raised his hand to look at his watch. He slowed down and led her to the elevator. Seeing that she did not press for the other elevator, he asked, ¡°You want to ride with me?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao opened the cosmetic mirror and took the time to reapply her lipstick. ¡°As long as we don¡¯t speak, no one will suspect anything.¡± Pei Zhi wanted tough. There was nothing special between them to begin with, but after what she said, it felt as if there was actually something between them. He asked curiously, ¡°What if people suspected?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they will.¡± After all, most people would not choose to take a detour from the parking lot to the front door. It was normal to bump into them by ident. Lin Jiao pulled herself back from her thoughts and looked up into his long and narrow eyes. She smiled and said, ¡°Even if there are ifs, it¡¯s fine as long as we don¡¯t admit it.¡± Pei Zhi felt like he was in love again. He nodded and leaned over to her ear the moment the elevator door opened. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± His unique voice, mixed with his hot breath, brushed past Lin Jiao¡¯s ears. An indescribable feeling welled up in her heart. She touched her earlobe that seemed to have been burned by the me and was stunned on the spot. ¡°Aren¡¯t youing in?¡± He reached out a hand to block the door from closing automatically and looked at her with an intoxicating smile. Lin Jiao quickly put away the cosmetics. She stood behind him and maintained the distance between an employee and an employer. ¡°President Pei, are you going to the cafeteria at noon?¡± ¡°I have a meeting at noon. I don¡¯t think I can go.¡± ¡°Then when will you be avable?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain.¡± Pei Zhi buttoned his cor and nced at the floor disy. ¡°But I¡¯ll get off work on time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, the elevator door opened. There were many colleagues standing outside the door. The moment they saw Pei Zhi, they perked up and greeted him with smiles. However, after saying hello, the entire elevator fell silent. They looked down and did not chat as freely as before. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Lin Jiao held her breath and only heaved a sigh of relief when she left the elevator. She strode to her desk and greeted Zheng Yi and Feng Yunjie before opening the folder on the table. ¡°Lin Jiao, how did it go?¡± Zheng Yi was as concerned about her progress as usual, afraid that she could not keep up. ¡°There are only two project proposals left.¡± ¡°Have you digested them all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the ballpoint pen and twirled it twice around her fingertips. ¡°Should I start making a proposal next week?¡± Zheng Yi nodded. ¡°Two proposals in total. When you finish making them, hand them to Manager Wu. He will decide if they can pass.¡± ¡°And after that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait for him to make the arrangements, but ording to how he normally does things, he¡¯ll probably let you participate in the nning of the next event.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Lin Jiao looked away. She spent an hour and a half working through the remaining proposals and revising the key points she had made earlier, preparing for the task of making proposals next week. Seeing that she had not even had time to drink water the entire morning, Feng Yunjie, who was cking off, couldn¡¯t help but admire her. ¡°Lin Jiao, you don¡¯t have to work so hard.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple to make a proposal. As long as you touch on the key points, it¡¯ll be epted.¡± She said it casually, but Lin Jiao didn¡¯t think so. If she started cking off the moment she entered thepany, she wouldn¡¯t be able to make any progress in her career. Lin Jiao knew what to do and did not intend to waste time arguing with her. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m gonna go through it a few more times to make sure nothing will go wrong.¡± Feng Yunjie was speechless. When she got up, she asked, ¡°Do you want to eat together?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± ¡°Take your time, then.¡± Lin Jiao nodded and turned to the next page. After she remembered most of the important points, Pei Yn rushed to the nning department with two thermal containers. ¡°Jiaojiao, where are we going to eat?¡± ¡°The resting area.¡± Lin Jiao wiped the round table by the window. She unscrewed the lid of the thermos and was surprised to see the fish and meat inside. ¡°Aunt Bai made all this?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Pei Yn handed the spoon to her. ¡°Other than the egg omelet that she cooks all year round, she can¡¯t cook anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already impressive.¡± Lin Jiao used a spoon to stir the egg omelet. A faint smile shed across her eyes. ¡°At least there¡¯s no eggshell this time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Pei Yn didn¡¯t have high expectations of her mother when it came to cooking. As long as she did not blow up the kitchen or get injured, it was enough. She asked about Lan Ying and after confirming that she was fine, she said, ¡°Jiaojiao, I checked the camera footage of two shopsst night.¡± ¡°Did you take any pictures of his face?¡± ¡°I did, but it was too blurry.¡± Seeing her sigh and look dejected, Lin Jiao suggested, ¡°You can find someone to repair the picture.¡± Chapter 25 Chase Him Until He Has a Feeling ¡°Where can I find one?¡± Pei Yn was usually quite smart. But when she fell in love, she became a fool. Lin Jiao felt worried for her. ¡°Try posting on the photoshop forum.¡± ¡°Should I post his picture?¡± ¡°No need. Just list your requirements. You can talk about the rest after someone adds you on WeChat.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn took two bites of the pork ribs and the worry in her eyes disappeared. ¡°I hope I can see him soon.¡± Lin Jiao knocked on the table. ¡°When you decide to meet, remember to bring me along.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°If you forgot it¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Pei Yn met her gaze and smiled sweetly. ¡°I want you to be the witness of my sweet love.¡± ¡°You found your love before you even found the person you love.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± Lin Jiao did not want to hurt her, but she was afraid that Pei Yn would have a hard time getting over it. She asked tentatively, ¡°Yn, what if he doesn¡¯t have any feelings for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll chase him until he has a feeling.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not just being possessive?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn said positively, ¡°From the moment I saw him, I knew he was different from the others.¡± She had been in love twice before, but she had never experienced such a feeling from them. Even though she had only seen him once, she felt like they had known each other for years. Lin Jiao did not say anything else to dampen her mood. She ate quietly. The colleagues from the nning department returned a momentter. Seeing that more and more unfamiliar faces were walking into the resting area, Pei Yn had no intention of staying any longer. She picked up the thermos and ignored the gazes that were on her. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯ll get going first.¡± ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll treat you guys to a meal.¡± Lin Jiao did not mention Pei Zhi¡¯s name because her colleagues were around. Pei Yn shook her head frantically when she understood who else would be there. ¡°I¡¯m not free.¡± She strode towards the elevator. ¡°I have to go shopping with my mother.¡± ¡°What a pity.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a pity¡­ I mean, there are plenty of opportunities. We¡¯ll eat together next time.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips to fight back the urge tough. ¡°Okay.¡± She pressed the elevator button and returned to the resting area after Pei Yn was gone to make a pot of ck tea. While waiting, Feng Yunjie came over. She leaned against the table. ¡°Lin Jiao, which department is that person from? Why haven¡¯t I seen her before?¡± ¡°PR department. She¡¯s new.¡± ¡°You know each other?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao lit up her phone screen. She opened WeChat and did not see any messages, so she opened an app to choose the ingredients she would use tonight. Feng Yunjie, who had been standing at the side, stared at her phone. ¡°Lin Jiao, are you buying ingredients online?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it cheaper to buy in the market? You can also save the delivery fee.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that much time.¡± If she went to the market after picking up Xue Jing, it would be toote. ¡°Rich people are really different.¡± When Sun Feiyu heard this, she couldn¡¯t help but mock, ¡°You don¡¯t even have time to buy ingredients.¡± Lin Jiao paused in her actions. Her gaze turned cold. Not caring about Sun Feiyu, this ¡®senior¡¯, she questioned, ¡°Does what I do have anything to do with you?¡± Chapter 26 Those Who Argue and Watch the Show Suffer Sun Feiyu had offended many people, but they were all pushovers unlike Lin Jiao. She suddenly felt a surge of anger. ¡°Do you think I want to stick my nose into your business? If you don¡¯t want others to know, why did you talk in front of us all?¡± ¡°I was talking to my friend. Did I ever ask you about your opinion?¡± Lin Jiao continued with a mocking smile, ¡°If you like to stick your nose into everything, why don¡¯t you find a job in a tabloid?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I almost forgot that the tabloids don¡¯t need someone who doesn¡¯t even know the basics of manners. All you know is talk and talk.¡± After being interrupted by her, Sun Feiyu¡¯s mind went nk. She couldn¡¯t even remember what she wanted to say to her. She couldn¡¯t stand losing face in front of others. In a fit of fury, she stood up and sshed the coffee at her. Lin Jiao nimbly dodged it, and an ear-piercing scream came from the right. Feng Yunjie, who was standing there watching the show, did not have time to dodge before her vision was blocked by the coffee that was sshed at her. ¡°Sun Feiyu, are you crazy?!¡± She wiped away the coffee stains on her eyshes and looked at her coffee-stained dress. She covered her face and cried. ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to ssh it at you.¡± Sun Feiyu was scared. She quickly picked up the tissue box and took out more than ten tissues to wipe Feng Yunjie¡¯s dress. ¡°Do you want to get away just by saying you didn¡¯t mean it?¡± Feng Yunjie shook off her hand and sobbed. ¡°How can I walk out like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a new dress. How about that?¡± ¡°No way!¡± No matter what Sun Feiyu said, Feng Yunjie, who was squatting at the corner of the table, was unmoved. Her cries quickly attracted the attention of the other colleagues in the nning department. Even Wu Xiuwen stopped taking his break and walked over. He closed the door of the resting area. After hearing what happened from Wang Rui, he scolded Sun Feiyu for a long time and asked her topensate Feng Yunjie and write a self-reflection letter. ¡°You are at your workce. In the future, think before you do anything. Otherwise, you¡¯ll cause trouble to yourself!¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Sun Feiyu clenched her fists. No matter how indignant she was, she did not show it. She noted down Feng Yunjie¡¯s size. Before leaving the resting area, she shot Lin Jiao an angry look, as if warning her. Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow and walked out. She returned to her desk and continued choosing ingredients. She did not forget to send a message to Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, are you allergic to seafood?¡± The moment Pei Zhi received a message from her, he felt indescribably happy. He took a puff on his cigar and replied, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what do you like to eat?¡± ¡°Anything is fine except mutton.¡± ¡°Roger that.¡± Lin Jiao returned to look at the ingredients she had chosen and sent him a screenshot. ¡°Are these enough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and ce the order first.¡± Pei Zhi opened the sticker collection and was about to reply when his thoughts were interrupted by a voice. ¡°Boss!¡± Qu Shao strode over, his entire body emitting a gossipy light. ¡°Miss Lin just quarreled with someone.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°A female employee from the nning department.¡± After confirming that Lin Jiao was not injured, Pei Zhi calmed down and listened to him telling the entire story. ¡°Why did that person target her?¡± ¡°She hates the rich.¡± ¡°Is that the only reason?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Qu Shao thought of the chat history he saw earlier and analyzed the situation to him, ¡°It was the first time they interacted. The most likely reason is jealousy.¡± Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. ¡°Get someone to keep an eye on her.¡± If Sun Feiyu really tried to hurt Lin Jiao out of jealousy, she would definitely bear a grudge after being embarrassed. Since he had no reason to fire her, he could only use this method to protect Lin Jiao. ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao immediately opened WeChat and looked for his subordinate in the nning department. ¡°I¡¯ll Inform you immediately if anything happens.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Pei Zhi stubbed out his cigar and wiped his fingertips with a wet tissue. ¡°What about the thing I asked you to investigatest time?¡± ¡°No results yet.¡± ¡°That slow?¡± Qu Shao scratched the back of his head and said without confidence, ¡°There is a time difference between here and overseas.¡± ¡°Is that a reason?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not. I¡¯ll urge them to hurry up.¡± Pei Zhi nced at him. ¡°Get out.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± In order to avoid having his monthly ie deducted, Qu Shao ran away. When he returned to the assistant¡¯s room, he first sent a message to the foreigner and scolded him for ten minutes in lousy English. When he felt better, he hung up. * When the clock pointed to six, Lin Jiao avoided her colleagues from the nning department and went to the parking lot alone. She followed the route map sent by Pei Zhi and found the A3 sign very smoothly unlikest time. ¡°Sister!¡± Xue Jing, who was picked up by Qu Shao, smiled when he saw the door to the back seat open. ¡°Are you tired today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Lin Jiao leaned forward and wiped the biscuit crumbs from the corner of his mouth. Sitting between the two of them, Pei Zhi stiffened when he smelled the fragrance that belonged to her. He lowered his eyes and looked at the strands of hair that brushed against the back of his hand. His heart was racing and he was nervous. Fortunately, Lin Jiao quickly sat down on her seat to his right. She took out her phone from the bag between her knees. ¡°Uncle, do you want to have a drink tonight?¡± ¡°You want to drink?¡± ¡°A little. What about you?¡± When she said ¡®a little¡¯, she salivated. Pei Zhi chuckled. He agreed. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll drink a little too.¡± ¡°Do you like red wine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± ¡°I like white wine!¡± Xue Jing raised his head, looking very confident. ¡°Have you ever drunk white wine?¡± ¡°I did. Dad bought it for me before. He said that I have a humongous tolerance for alcohol and won¡¯t get drunk no matter what.¡± Lin Jiao knew that he had been fooled. She opened an app to shop for wines while teasing. ¡°Then can you show us tonight?¡± Xue Jing nodded. ¡°No problem!¡± He climbed onto Pei Zhi¡¯sp and stuck his head out to look at her phone. He insisted on choosing two bottles of white wine. Lin Jiao had no choice but to add them to the shopping list. She turned slightly to the right and sent Pei Zhi a WeChat message when Xue Jing was distracted. ¡°Uncle, find a chance to change it to soda.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s attention was all on Xue Jing. He was teaching Xue Jing about safety inside the car when he heard someone cough. ¡°Sister, did you catch a cold?¡± He asked anxiously. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are you coughing?¡± ¡°I identally choked.¡± After fooling him, Lin Jiao looked at Pei Zhi and raised her chin at Pei Zhi¡¯s pocket. ¡°Uncle, your phone seems to be ringing.¡± Pei Zhi quickly took out his phone. After reading the message that popped up on the screen, he looked up at her smiley face and chuckled. Chapter 27 He Was Able to Affect Her Emotions Dark clouds slowly thickened, covering the setting sun. A hot wind brushed the trees on both sides of the road, making the green leaves rustle. The streetmps started to emit faint light. Lin Jiao stepped on her shadow and chased after Xue Jing who ran into the building with Pei Zhi. In order to avoid the hot wind, the first thing she did when she got home was to close all the windows and turn on the air conditioner. ¡°Sister, I want to watch cartoons.¡± ¡°Let Brother Pei help you find one.¡± Pei Zhi took the remote control. ¡°What do you want to see?¡± ¡°Boonie Bears.¡± ¡°Which season?¡± ¡°Adventure diary.¡± Xue Jing sat on the sofa and tore open the snack bag. ¡°Episode two.¡± Pei Zhi pressed the remote controller to find it. He pressed the y button and turned up the volume. Then, he picked up the ingredients on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen. The sound of water mixed with the sound of prawns and crabs struggling attracted Lin Jiao, who hade out after changing her clothes. She stood at the kitchen door and looked at the man¡¯s silhouette. He was wearing a light blue apron that did not match him. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his tanned arms. He pressed down on the shrimps in the sink, and the water droplets that sshed on his wrist brushed past the veins on the back of his hand. Lin Jiao stared at him intently. Other than ¡®sexy¡¯, she couldn¡¯t find a better word to describe him. Her overly focused gaze made Pei Zhi stop what he was doing. He turned around and flicked a few drops of water in her direction. ¡°Stop looking,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Help me get two tes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao pinched her red. She handed him the tes and turned on the rice cooker while he cleaned the shrimps. ¡°Uncle, have you ever cooked before?¡± Pei Zhi replied, ¡°I cooked a lot when I first started my business, but not much after that.¡± ¡°When did you start your business?¡± ¡°Twenty-one.¡± ¡°So early?¡± Lin Jiao was a little surprised. She never asked about it, and Pei Zhi did not like to talk about himself either, so her understanding of him was still very shallow. ¡°Not really¡± Pei Zhi picked up the prawn shell that was stuck to the back of his hand. ¡°One of my ssmates started his business at the age of 19.¡± ¡°What about him now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We¡¯re not in touch.¡± Lin Jiao cooked the rice. Compared to his unimportant ssmate, she was more concerned about him. ¡°It must be very difficult at that time, right?¡± ¡°Yes, and I was very poor.¡± Pei Zhi turned on the tap and washed his hands. His expression was as calm as ever. ¡°For a period of time, I only ate one bowl of in noodles a day. I couldn¡¯t even afford anything else.¡± Hearing that, Lin Jiao felt a little bad for him. ¡°Didn¡¯t you have any start-up funds?¡± ¡°Yes, my father gave me two hundred thousand.¡± ¡°You lost it all?¡± ¡°I was swindled.¡± Pei Zhi put down the chopping board by the wall. ¡°Ever since then, I haven¡¯t asked them for money.¡± His calm expression made Lin Jiao feel even worse for him. She frowned. ¡°How were you swindled?¡± ¡°I bought a batch of chips from a friend. I tested the batch and there was no problem with it, but they reced the chips that night.¡± Pei Zhi summarized it briefly. Only he knew how hopeless he felt back then. ¡°How shameless!¡± Lin Jiao was so angry that she gritted her teeth. She asked anxiously, ¡°Did you call the police?¡± ¡°I did, but they couldn¡¯t find the swindlers.¡± ¡°They left the country?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi suppressed fierceness in his eyes and did not mention how miserable he made them overseas. He took a step forward, wrapped his arms around her waist, and helped her tie the apron. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Let the past be past.¡± Lin Jiao, who had yet toe back to her senses, did not notice how strange their posture was. She swallowed the profanities that were on the tip of her tongue to prevent him from recalling bad memories and did not ask further. ¡°Are you still angry?¡± Pei Zhi took a step back and nced at her clenched fists. He was strangely excited about being able to affect her emotions, but at the same time, he did not want her to be worried about him. ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao took a deep breath. She picked up the kitchen knife and quickly cut the vegetables on the chopping board. She changed the topic and said, ¡°Did you bring the wine in?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then go and rece it with water. Leave the rest to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need my help?¡± Pei Zhi unscrewed the lid of the white wine and poured it into a bowl. In the end, he stuffed some ginger into the bottle and shook it gently with hot water, causing the strong alcohol smell to gradually disappear. ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao cut the vegetables and pushed him out with her elbow. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll call youter.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi did not insist on staying. He walked to Xue Jing¡¯s side to watch the cartoon with him. However, the scene was different from what he remembered. He remembered that every time Qu Shao held his phone, watching Boonie Bears, he could hear the screams of Logger Vick. Pei Zhi thought he had found the wrong cartoon for him, so he asked Xue Jing, ¡°Has their rtionship improved?¡± ¡°Yes, but only for now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Xue Jing swallowed the potato chips in his mouth. ¡°Because Logger Vick is a tour guide now and doesn¡¯t cut down trees anymore.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± ¡°Brother Pei, do you like to watch this too?¡± ¡°Qu Shao likes it.¡± Pei Zhi picked up the scraps that fell on the sofa and wiped Xue Jing¡¯s mouth. ¡°He still has many figurines at home.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a figurine?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a kind of collection.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any¡­¡± Xue Jing lowered his head, wondering if his pocket money was enough. Pei Zhi said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Brother Pei, you¡¯re the best!¡± Xue Jing jumped up from the sofa and pounced on Pei Zhi. As if having thought about something, he grabbed his sleeve and asked quietly, ¡°Do you want to be my brother-inw?¡± Pei Zhi was caught unprepared by this question and was clearly stunned. He nced in the direction of the kitchen and couldn¡¯t help but lower his voice. ¡°You sold your sister to me for figurines?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not selling her!¡± Xue Jing retorted quickly. He tightened his grip on his sleeve. ¡°You¡¯re better than that guy. You¡¯re morepatible with my sister.¡± Pei Zhi knew who that guy was. He was silent for a long time before patting Xue Jing on the back. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± ¡°Do you want to, then?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to me.¡± Before Xue Jing could react, his attention was attracted by the jelly in front of him. He bit it. ¡°Brother Pei, aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Chapter 28 Enjoy Being Taken Care of By Her. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± Pei Zhi stared at the LCD screen. He watched television with Xue Jing for a while before walking to the window to smoke. Outside the window, it was raining heavily. The lightning that struck the horizon roared like fireworks, but it was terrifying rather than festive. The raindrops that were blown in through the window pped his shoulder. In just a few puffs, the fabric on his shoulder was drenched by the rain. ¡°Uncle, dinner is ready¡­¡± Lin Jiao came out with bowls and tes. When she saw his lonely figure, her smile suddenly disappeared. Thinking that he might still be bothered by what had happened in the past, she put down the bowls and walked over. Pei Zhi turned around when he heard the footsteps Before he could say a word, he felt a warm touch on his forearm. She closed the window that was letting wind and rain in. Lin Jiao looked up at him for a few seconds and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle, dinner is ready.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi threw away the cigarette butt. He patted the raindrops on his arm and was about to pull out the chair at the table when a towel was handed to him from behind. ¡°Wipe yourself first.¡± Lin Jiao was afraid that he would catch a cold, so she poured him a ss of warm water. Seeing that he did not pick up the towel, she picked it up and gently wiped dry his ck hair. Pei Zhi enjoyed the entire process. He leaned back in his chair and sniffed the fragrance that lingered at the tip of his nose. ¡°Sister, can we eat now?¡± Xue Jing ran over with his short legs and stared at the two of them without blinking. ¡°Right away.¡± Lin Jiao retracted her hand. She brought out the remaining two dishes and waited for Pei Zhi to remove the cork before sitting down. ¡°Uncle, try and see if it tastes good.¡± Pei Zhi picked up a garlic prawn and ced it in his mouth. The fresh prawn was wrapped in fragrant garlic. Coupled with the soft and smooth texture, it instantly gave him a good appetite. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Even though he had been looking forward to tasting her cooking before, at this moment, he still felt like he had been surprised. Pei Zhi swallowed the prawn and looked at her in surprise and praise. ¡°Who did you learn such good cooking from?¡± ¡°From my grandfather.¡± Lin Jiao chewed on the corn. She said vaguely, ¡°I started living with him when I was 14 years old. Sometimes, he was very busy and couldn¡¯t take care of me. He was afraid that the food outside wouldn¡¯t be healthy, so he taught me how to cook.¡± ¡°Was he a chef before?¡± ¡°Kind of. He¡¯s been in a lot of industries.¡± Pei Zhi nodded in understanding. He tasted the other dishes one after another. The more he tasted them, the more curious he was about the old man. ¡°I¡¯ll visit when I have the chance. How about that?¡± ¡°Sounds like a good idea,¡± Lin Jiao replied quickly. She picked up the wine ss and swirled it. ¡°But he lives in the countryside now. It¡¯s a little far.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Zhi was afraid that he would appear too enthusiastic, so he did not tell the exact time. ¡°Let¡¯s find a weekend to go over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I want to go too!¡± Xue Jing raised his hand that was holding the chopsticks. In just a short while, his cor was covered in corn residue, and there was oil around the corners of his mouth. Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t even wipe it clean with a tissue, so she could only wait for him to finish eating before bringing him to wash it. ¡°If you behave well, we¡¯ll bring you along.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Xue Jing nodded heavily. Holding the bowl firmly, he ate the food she picked for him and stared at their sses. ¡°Sister, where¡¯s my wine?¡± Lin Jiao had forgotten about this. She took out two bottles of white wine from the kitchen and poured him a ss. ¡°Drink less. This is strong.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Xue Jing downed his cup. He imitated his father and put the empty cup upside down. ¡°It¡¯s your turn to drink,¡± he said proudly. Lin Jiao did not dare to down her cup like that. She clinked sses with Pei Zhi and took a sip. Then, she picked up her chopsticks and picked up some food for them. ¡°Eat first. We have plenty of time to drink.¡± Xue Jing had always been obedient and stopped fooling around. As he stuffed rice into his mouth, he listened to them talk and would asionally speak, making the atmosphere more cozy and lively. It was already 8:30 pm, but they were still chatting andughing. Outside the window, the rain was still falling. Silver-white lightning streaked across the curtains, leaving a shocking reflection. Xue Jing covered his ears and hid behind Lin Jiao. He retracted his gaze from the window and did not dare to go to the living room alone. He said in a soft voice, ¡°Sister, I want to watch television.¡± ¡°I need to wash the dishes. Brother Pei will keep youpany.¡± Lin Jiao stacked the dishes together. Just as she was about to leave the table, she was stopped by Pei Zhi. ¡°Watch the TV with him. I¡¯ll wash the dishes.¡± Before she could refuse, Pei Zhi turned around and walked into the kitchen with the dishes. He put on an apron and first put away the chopping board on the counter. Then, he blocked the sink and put the dishes in. ¡°Uncle, let me do it.¡± Lin Jiao asked Xue Jing to wait in the dining room and strode over to untie his apron. As soon as she approached, Pei Zhi¡¯s back stiffened. Ignoring the water on his hands, he stopped her from moving. ¡°Stop it.¡± Lin Jiao was stunned. ¡°Are you ticklish?¡± She retracted her hand. ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi let out a breath. He pulled out a tissue and handed it over, then pushed her out of the kitchen like she had done before. ¡°Give me a minute. It won¡¯t take long.¡± Lin Jiao watched as he closed the kitchen door. She wiped the water off her wrist and moved the red wine to the coffee table. She then held Xue Jing¡¯s hand and sat beside the sofa. ¡°Sister, you still have a lot left.¡± Xue Jing pointed at the wine bottle, his eyes filled with confusion. ¡°I¡¯ve already finished one bottle.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink this too quickly.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll get me drunk easily.¡± Lin Jiao finished the two mouthfuls of red wine in her ss and said, ¡°Look, is my face red?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Xue Jing touched her wless cheek. ¡°Are you drunk?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why is it red?¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s hot.¡± Lin Jiao yawned. She hugged Xue Jing and watched Boonie Bears. Under the sound of the TV, she started to feel sleepy. When Pei Zhi came over, she was already asleep. He leaned down and ced his palm on her waist. When he felt the softness of her waist, he paused for two seconds. ¡°Brother Pei, are you two going to sleep?¡± Xue Jing looked up at him with a serious expression. Pei Zhi found that this question sounded strange. He picked her up effortlessly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to sleep, but your sister is.¡± ¡°Are you leaving, then?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Xue Jing grabbed the corner of his shirt and looked at him with water eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll be afraid if I¡¯m left alone.¡± Chapter 29 Sabotaging A Rtionship His fear of lightning was written across his face, so Pei Zhi could only lie to make him feel at ease. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After Xue Jing confirmed it again, he retracted his hand. He curled up into a ball at the corner of the sofa. ¡°Thene out quickly.¡± Pei Zhi nodded. He walked into the bedroom, ced the soft body in his arms on the bed, and covered her slender legs with a nket. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Lin Jiao kicked the nket away. She frowned and passed her fair forearm under her waist to touch something on her back. This familiar action made Pei Zhi quickly turn around to avoid seeing something he shouldn¡¯t. He stared at the floor motionlessly. When he saw a ck thing flying over from the corner of his eye, he quickly caught it. This time, the touch was different from before. It was warm and soft. Out of curiosity, Pei Zhi looked at it. However, before he could figure it out, his eyes turned red from thece at the corners, and his heart started to race uncontrobly. ¡°Brother Pei¡­¡± A boyish voice was heard. Before Xue Jing entered the room, Pei Zhi stuffed the thing under the pillow and quietly covered Lin Jiao with the nket. He calmed himself down and caught the child who was running in his direction. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xue Jing nestled in his arms. He hugged his neck, wanting him to carry him out. Pei Zhi yed with him until ten o¡¯clock before taking him to wash up. ¡°Jing, did you sleep with your sisterst night?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Xue Jing brushed his teeth carefully. He spat out a mouthful of toothpaste bubbles and stared at Pei Zhi in the mirror. ¡°But I want to sleep with you tonight. Can I?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi wrung the towel dry. He helped Xue Jing clean up and pushed open the door opposite the master bedroom. ¡°Brother Pei, aren¡¯t you going to change your clothes?¡± ¡°Later.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll feel ufortable like this.¡± Xue Jing propped himself up on the pillow and insisted on him changing his clothes. Pei Zhi had no choice but to put on a pajama. He told Xue Jing a short story. After he fell asleep, he carried him into the master bedroom. The small nightmp that was still on at the head of the bed emitted an orange glow. Light and shadow scattered down and wrapped around the sleeping siblings. Pei Zhi, who was sitting by the bed, listened to their light breathing and stared at them for a long time before turning off themp. * The rain that had been falling all night gradually stopped. The sun rose slowly from the horizon, dispelling thest few dark clouds that shrouded the sky. The sun shone into the room and, together with the vibration of the phone, woke Pei Zhi up. He pressed the answer button, and Chu Yuzhou¡¯s voice came from the other end. ¡°Brother, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Sleeping.¡± ¡°Do you want to y golf?¡± Chu Yuzhou chewed on his gum as he drove towards the court. ¡°Shen Yi came backst night.¡± ¡°Send me the address.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi hung up and got up. When he arrived at the court, the dishes that Chu Yuzhou and the others had ordered were almost cold. ¡°President Pei, you¡¯re too slow.¡± Shen Yi yed with the lighter in boredom, not forgetting to throw a cigarette at him. He looked fairer than Chu Yuzhou. Although the aura he emitted was gentle, one could tell at a nce that he wasn¡¯t someone to be trifled with. ¡°I woke upte.¡± Pei Zhi pulled out a chair. Seeing that he was in a good mood, Chu Yuzhou raised his eyebrows. ¡°Where did you gost night?¡± ¡°Drinking with her.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± Pei Zhi lit the cigarette. He hadn¡¯t told them the full story yet, but the two of them knew from his radiant smile that their rtionship was another step closer. ¡°Brother, let me give you a piece of advice.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a good idea to sabotage someone else¡¯s rtionship.¡± Shen Yi seemed to be persuading him to give up. ¡°Even if you seed, there¡¯s a high chance you¡¯ll be dumped.¡± Chu Yuzhou chuckled. He nced at Pei Zhi¡¯s subtle expression and quickly exined, ¡°Lin Jiao broke up with that man some time ago. He¡¯s not sabotaging anything.¡± ¡°They really broke up?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shen Yi received an affirmative look and immediately started congratting. ¡°Brother, congrattions.¡± He stood up and poured a cup of tea for Pei Zhi. ¡°You¡¯ve finally made it after so many years.¡± Pei Zhi sneered. He picked up his teacup and took two sips. ¡°You can congratte me when I seed in sabotaging their rtionship.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend now and isn¡¯t married. In that case, you are not sabotaging their rtionship.¡± Shen Yi retorted quickly, as if he did not remember the ¡®advice¡¯ he just gave. Chu Yuzhou, who was beside them,ughed. He lit his cigarette and rubbed his cheeks that were sore fromughing so hard. ¡°Shen Yi, it¡¯s a pity you¡¯re not a Face changing opera actor.¡± ¡°No one will think you¡¯re mute if you don¡¯t speak.¡± ¡°Hey, you¡¯re being unreasonable.¡± Shen Yi had no time to bicker with him. He scooped some rice into a bowl and asked, ¡°Does Lin Jiao know how you feel about her?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°When do you n to tell her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see.¡± Pei Zhi stubbed out his cigarette and slowly picked up his food. ¡°She just broke up and isn¡¯t in the mood to start a new rtionship.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Shen Yi sighed to herself. Worried that Lin Jiao might get back together with her ex, he couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Why did they break up?¡± ¡°Gu Quan cheated on her.¡± ¡°What the!¡± Chu Yuzhou was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Lin Jiao good enough? What is he not satisfied about?¡± Although they did not spend much time with Lin Jiao, they could tell that she had a good personality and was an empathetic person. When Pei Zhi first heard this news, other than being angry, he was a little surprised too. He pried open the crab leg using a lot of strength to vent his anger. But before he could speak, Shen Yi gritted his teeth and said, ¡°He and his clique are just a bunch of hooligans.¡± ¡°You know them?¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m prepared to get to know them.¡± ¡°What exactly happened? Tell me!¡± Chu Yuzhou¡¯s curiosity was piqued. Shen Yi exined in brief, ¡°One buddy of Gu Quan¡¯s stole my cousin¡¯s girlfriend and hit him on the head.¡± ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°Last month.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say that earlier?¡± Chu Yuzhou was so angry that he wanted to punch the table. ¡°We have a reason to punish him for hitting your cousin.¡± ¡°I was very busy during that time.¡± Shen Yi had been studying abroad for two months and was as tired as a dog every day. ¡°What¡¯s his background?¡± Pei Zhi asked as he looked up, but he was not as worked up as Chu Yuzhou. Chapter 30 Dealing with Him Is Easy ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a background.¡± Shen Yi snorted disdainfully. ¡°He¡¯s just a rich second-generation bastard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy.¡± ¡°Yes, I n to¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to n?¡± Chu Yuzhou was impatient and couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°Let¡¯s deal with him tonight!¡± Shen Yi was silent for a moment. ¡°Yeah, why not.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled! I¡¯ll get someone to deal with him. Brother Pei will clean up the mess.¡± Pei Zhi nced at Chu Yuzhou, who was extremely excited. He rained on his parade without mercy. ¡°Qu Shao can handle everything alone.¡± Chu Yuzhou¡¯s mouth was wide in daze. Not wanting to miss this opportunity, he opened his contact list. ¡°It¡¯s Saturday today. Let him rest.¡± Pei Zhi smiled but did not say anything. He filled his stomach before the food turned cold. His chill attitude was a stark contrast to Chu Yuzhou who was all excited. Shen Yi said with a shake of his head, ¡°Young Master Chu, aren¡¯t you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°Do you know how high the mortality rate is in gastric cancer?¡± Chu Yuzhou looked up and rolled his eyes. ¡°Doctor Shen, stop scaring me with your words.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t started it yet.¡± ¡°No, no, no, don¡¯t get started. I¡¯ll eat it immediately.¡± Once Shen Yi started talking about medicine, he would not stop until he was done. Chu Yuzhou did not want to have a lecture now. ¡°By the way.¡± Chu Yuzhou forwarded a photo to him. ¡°Take a look at which one it is. I don¡¯t wanna punish the wrong person.¡± Shen Yi clicked on the message. He stared at the group photo and was interested in something else. ¡°Which one is Gu Quan?¡± ¡°The one in ck.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen him in person?¡± Pei Zhi smirked. ¡°Do you think he¡¯s qualified to meet me in person?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± In terms of status, a person like Gu Quan was really not worthy of meeting Pei Zhi. Shen Yi lost interest after a few nces. He took out a paintbrush and circled the man beside Gu Quan before sending it back to Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Shall we y two rounds?¡± Pei Zhi walked to the side and picked up the golf club. Shen Yi stood up. ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing them walk out, Chu Yuzhou ate a few mouthfuls of rice. When he felt full, he hurriedly followed suit. The sun shone on the endlesswn, making the three people standing in front of the seats squint. Suddenly, a strong wind blew past, and the three white balls flew out at the same time, drawing an arc in the air. The next second, the balls rolled into different holes. Seeing that the third was the closest, Shen Yi couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°Young Master Chu, you are short.¡± Chu Yuzhou didn¡¯t get the meaning of the word ¡®short¡¯. He asked the caddie for a pair of sunsses and returned to the battlefield. ¡°I was dazzled by the sun just now. Again!¡± ¡°You guys y first.¡± Pei Zhi heard a loud vibration and immediately walked back to the table. He lit up the screen and saw a message from Lin Jiao. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m up. Cute Kitten Sticker.¡± ¡°What¡¯s for lunch?¡± [Dumplings, I¡¯m cooking. /Picture] Pei Zhi looked away from the pot and at the fair arm. ¡°Eat more. Rubbing head Sticker.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao stirred the dumplings in the pot and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°ying golf with Chu Yuzhou and the others.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so hot outside. Don¡¯t get a heatstroke.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He took a photo of thewn in front of him. The sound of the shutter instantly attracted the attention of Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Brother Pei, why didn¡¯t you tell me you wanna take a photo? At least give us a chance to pose.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take a photo of you.¡± ¡°Then of whom?¡± Chu Yuzhou unscrewed the cap of the water bottle and drank two mouthfuls. ¡°Thewn.¡± ¡°Why are you taking pictures of thewn?¡± ¡°Show her.¡± Pei Zhi raised his hand and deliberately showed them the message of concern from Lin Jiao. What a bowl of dog food¡­ Chu Yuzhou and Shen Yi looked at each other. ¡°Sigh, I can already imagine the things they will post on their social media when they fall in love.¡± ¡°You can feed him a bowl of dog food too.¡± Shen Yi sat down on the sofa. ¡°Aren¡¯t you chased by a woman?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in her.¡± Chu Yuzhou told him his standard for a girlfriend, ¡°A woman like Angelina Jolie is my cup of tea.¡± ¡°Has your standard changed again?¡± ¡°What do you mean again?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you like that good girl kind of girl like your ex?¡± ¡°That was before. People change, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Only you change.¡± For example, once a man like Pei Zhi made up his mind, he would stick it to the end. Even if he met someone better than Lin Jiao, he would not be tempted. Chu Yuzhou understood what he meant. He touched the tip of his nose and thought seriously for a moment. ¡°When I meet the right person, I definitely won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Shen Yi did not take his words to heart. After all, it would probably take a few years for someone like Chu Yuzhou, who hadmitment issues, to decide to settle down. Seeing that he didn¡¯t believe him, Chu Yuzhou continued, ¡°I¡¯m still very responsible in my rtionship, okay? I¡¯m not as bad as Brother Yan.¡± ¡°Why do youpare yourself with him?¡± ¡°Who else should Ipete with? You two haven¡¯t had a rtionship yet. Shen Yi was speechless. He elbowed Pei Zhi¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you done chatting? Let¡¯s continue ying.¡± ¡°In a minute.¡± ¡°Do you have to report everything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He was afraid Lin Jiao would be worried if she didn¡¯t receive a reply in time. After Pei Zhi finished telling her his schedule, he picked up the club again. He had single-handedly crushed them for an hour. Shen Yi wanted him to rest, let alone Chu Yuzhou, who had been defeated over and over. Chu Yuzhou was exhausted, but when he heard his phone ring, he ran excitedly to the other side to answer it. The game, therefore, ended with his quitting. ¡°I found it.¡± Chu Yuzhou hung up and wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°He¡¯s a VIP in Bo Yu Club. He goes there every week.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a coincidence? When he¡¯s in your territory, it¡¯ll be easy to deal with him.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°But are you sure he¡¯s going tonight?¡± Shen Yi didn¡¯t want to waste time waiting. ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Chu Yuzhou leaned against the sofa and handed them cigarettes. ¡°Gu Quan seems to be going too.¡± ¡°Shall we go to watch the show, then?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± Shen Yi didn¡¯t hear Pei Zhi¡¯s response, so he asked again with a smile, ¡°President Pei, are you free tonight?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Pei Zhi casually pressed the lighter. He lowered his head and lit the cigarette. Looking at the cigarette that was gradually emitting mes, his lips curled into an ambiguous smile. Chapter 31 Questioning He Qi The lights were justing on. The elegantly decorated Bai Yu Club emitted brilliant lights, making a group of handsome men and beautiful women immersed in luxury. Laughter came from the second floor. After Song Zhen entered the private room with his friends, the noisy music was isted. ¡°When will Brother Quane?¡± He Qi took two sips of champagne and nced at the door from time to time. He had not seen Su Tian for a few days. Although he knew that it was impossible for them to be together, he just could not stop thinking about her no matter what. ¡°Soon.¡± Song Zhen clinked sses with him. He looked at the women brought by a friend. ¡°What do you think of the one in the blue dress?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t looked at her yet.¡± He Qi had no choice but to throw a nce at the woman. The first thing he noticed was her voluptuous figure. Even in the dim light, he could still see her alluring curves. His eyes lingered on her for a while. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Her waist and legs are very to my liking.¡± A trace of lust shed across Song Zhen¡¯s eyes as he said in a low voice, ¡°I bet it must feel good touching her.¡± ¡°You have an idea?¡± ¡°Yeah,e with me to have a chat.¡± He Qi was dragged to sit between the women and, as instructed by Song Zhen, picked up the dice cup. When they started ying, Song Zhen took the opportunity to get closer to the woman in the blue dress and whispered into her ear, ¡°Drink with me?¡± He looked good and was famous for being generous in the circle. The woman in the blue dress wanted to make a fortune and had no intention of avoiding him. She smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t drink much.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Song Zhen held her soft waist. Seeing that she did not resist, he tightened his grip and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back if you¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°I only want my boyfriend to send me back.¡± The woman in the blue dress pushed him away, but she intentionally touched his pants with her calf. Song Zhen saw through her. He pinched the soft flesh at her waist. Before he could get his hands on her, he would naturally agree to all her requests. ¡°Who else do you want to be with other than me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tickle me¡­¡± The woman in the blue dress squirmed, trying to struggle out of his grip. Her action made Song Zhen excited. He did not care that there were others around and pressed her down to take away her breath. ¡°Song Zhen is doing it again.¡± The man who brought the woman in the blue dress saw the scene and felt excited too. ¡°You can do it too.¡± ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to be watched.¡± He Qi smiled and did not reply. He looked at the time on his phone. Just as he was about to ask where Gu Quan was, he saw him push the door open and enter with a dark expression. ¡°He Qi,e out with me.¡± He clenched his fists, wanting to pull him up from behind the table. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it outside.¡± His angry voice made He Qi even more confused. Even Song Zhen, who was hugging the woman in the blue dress, frowned. The two of them followed him to the terrace. The moment they pulled out a chair and sat down, a few bank cards were thrown to the table. Gu Quan questioned He Qi, ¡°You said before that Jiaojiao used my money to bully others and stole your cousin¡¯s evening gown, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I was at the mall too.¡± ¡°You saw it with your own eyes?¡± He Qi was silent for a moment and did not answer directly. ¡°Brother Quan, what happened?¡± His evasion was equivalent to giving an answer. Gu Quan grabbed his cor, his eyes red with anger and his voice hoarse. ¡°Jiaojiao didn¡¯t use my money at all!¡± This evening, he drove home to change his clothes. When he passed by the security booth, he realized that he had a parcel. He originally nned to transfer the remaining money from the few cards to another ount, but when he saw the bnce and the transactions for the past two years, he felt like he had fallen into an icehouse. It was also at that moment that he remembered that He Qi had told him many times that Lin Jiao was a person who liked to waste money. This kind of sowing discord by He Qi made him extremely angry. He was also overwhelmed by guilt, powerlessness, and otherplicated emotions. ¡°Brother Quan, calm down!¡± Seeing that He Qi¡¯s neck was red from being strangled, Song Zhen quickly went forward and pulled them away. ¡°We¡¯re all buddies. There¡¯s no need to go to such an extent.¡± He Qi coughed a few times and said in disbelief, ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, check again.¡± Gu Quan kicked the chair away. ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± He Qi snorted disdainfully. ¡°With Lin Jiao¡¯s situation, how can she afford something that costs hundreds of thousands?¡± When they first met Lin Jiao, they heard from others that her poor grandfather in the countryside often came to school to bring her food. How could a family like hers be rich? Song Zhen was also puzzled. He handed Gu Quan a cigarette. ¡°Brother Quan, didn¡¯t you see her mother before? How¡¯s her family?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Her mother didn¡¯t tell me about it.¡± ¡°Did you talk to her?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Gu Quan calmed himself down. ¡°But she talked most about Lin Jiao¡¯s grandfather.¡± As for other things, he couldn¡¯t remember much. Chapter 32 I¡¯d Rather Let Lin Jiao Down Song Zhen remained silent. Based on his understanding of Lin Jiao, he could not make an urate judgment. He could only guess. ¡°Her mother probably gave it to her.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan did not care where her money came from. He only wanted to make it up to her. ¡°Did she cklist you?¡± ¡°I was cklisted long ago.¡± ¡°Where about the others?¡± Song Zhen shrugged. ¡°Same.¡± ¡°Brother Quan.¡± He Qi looked up at those red eyes. ¡°Do you still want to contact her?¡± ¡°I just want to make it up to her.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao wants you! Unless you break up with Su Tian, you can¡¯t make up to her.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t break up with her.¡± Gu Quan looked him in the eyes firmly. It was not easy for him to get back together with Su Tian. How could he let go of her? If he really had to choose, he would rather let Lin Jiao down. ¡°Then stop thinking about her.¡± He Qi said, ¡°Cherish what¡¯s in front of you.¡± Song Zhen had the same thought. He twirled a strand of long hair that was stuck to his shoulder and smiled. ¡°Leave it to us. We¡¯ll help you make it up to Lin Jiao.¡± ¡°How? You can¡¯t even get to see her.¡± Gu Quan frowned and thought for a moment before continuing, ¡°Forget it.¡± He did not want to see Lin Jiao annoyed by their ¡°interference¡±. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± ¡°Do as you deem fit.¡± Song Zhen looked at the woman in the blue dress who was still waiting for him and said anxiously, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and have a drink.¡± When He Qi stood up, he asked casually, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Su Tian here?¡± ¡°She went to see a movie with a friend.¡± ¡°How have you two been?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s gaze softened. He strode forward and did not notice the waiter standing outside the terrace at all. Song Zhen took a few more nces at the waiter, but he did not think too much about him. After they left, the waiter turned around and pushed open the door of the private room opposite. He ced his phone on the long table filled with wine. He stood respectfully in front of Chu Yuzhou and said seriously, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve recorded their conversation.¡± Chu Yuzhou nodded. ¡°Good.¡± He ced the video on the screen, picked up the red wine ss, and ¡°witnessed¡± their argument with the two people beside him. The moment Gu Quan said ¡°Jiaojiao¡±, Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened. He rested his face on his hands, and when another person said something extremely ridiculous like ¡°Lin Jiao wants you¡±, he snorted. ¡°President Pei, calm down.¡± Shen Yi ced his hand on his shoulder, afraid that he would re up. ¡°Lin Jiao¡¯s attitude says it all.¡± If Lin Jiao still had some thought about getting back together with Gu Quan, she would not have broken up with him in the first ce. ¡°I know.¡± Pei Zhi took a long puff on the cigarette and used nicotine to suppress the anger that was growing like a vine. He raised his foot and ced it on the edge of the table. After the entire video was yed, he looked at Chu Yuzhou. ¡°When are you going to do it?¡± ¡°Immediately.¡± Chu Yuzhou changed his n at thest minute. He knew that Pei Zhi was angry, so he decided to let his people rush into the private room and beat up the three idiots. Pei Zhi had no intention of stopping him. He swirled the red wine ss gently and waited for the staff toe in with aputer before turning his attention to the surveince cameras. The atmosphere over there was just right. asionally, he could hearughter. Song Zhen was having a good time with the woman in the blue dress on a corner. He Qi and Gu Quan sat by the door and yed dice with the others. When they picked up their sses and were about to make a toast, the door of the private room was suddenly kicked open by a group of burly men. The leader rushed up to Song Zhen. ¡°How dare you touch my woman?!¡± Song Zhen was slightly stunned and subconsciously pushed the woman away. He thought that she was the one who attracted this group of people. In his frustration, he quickly exined, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s all a misunderstanding! Nothing happened between us.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already hugging and kissing, and you call it a misunderstanding?¡± Before the woman in the blue dress could ask, he asked theckey behind him to cover her mouth. ¡°I was just ying a game with her. Don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡± ¡°No, of course not¡­¡± Before Song Zhen could finish his sentence, a punch was thrown at him, making him stunned. When the women sitting not far from him saw the blood flowing out of the tip of his nose, they screamed and ran out. As for his ¡®friends¡¯, they put down the wine sses in their hands and retreated to the side, having no intention of getting involved. ¡°Bro, let¡¯s talk.¡± Gu Quan stood in front of Song Zhen, knowing that they were in the wrong, so he did not attack rashly. ¡°Go and talk to your mother!¡± The leader grabbed his cor and threw him out. He said domineeringly, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that crap.¡± Gu Quan, who was thrown onto the table, felt like his bones were about to fall apart. When he got up and wanted to fight back, he was captured by a group ofckeys and pressed onto the sofa to receive a few punches. On the other hand, Song Zhen was not any better. He was brutally beaten. ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± He Qi shouted at his ¡®good friends¡¯ and rushed forward with two wine bottles. Chapter 33 Sending Them to the Hospital ¡°Bang¡ª¡± The wine bottle fell to the ground and instantly shattered. He Qi was pressed against the wall by two burly men and could not fight back. ¡°What a bunch of cowards.¡± Chu Yuzhou waited for a long time but did not see them make a move. He shook his head in disappointment. Shen Yi said expressionlessly, ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of fair-weather friends. What do you expect them to do?¡± ¡°How boring.¡± Chu Yuzhou clicked his tongue. He turned to look at Pei Zhi, who was still staring at the screen, and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Brother Pei, do you feel better now?¡± ¡°Kinda.¡± ¡°That means you are not satisfied. Then I¡¯ll get them to go on beating for another ten minutes. What do you think?¡± ¡°Up to you.¡± Pei Zhi looked away. He cracked his knuckles and tapped his knee as he said indifferently, ¡°Shen Yi, call two ambnces over.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Shen Yi thought for a moment and knew what he was up to. ¡°President Pei, you¡¯re too considerate.¡± ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± Chu Yuzhou understood every word they said, but he did not know what they meant. ¡°He wants me to rip them off.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Send them to the hospital.¡± Shen Yi opened his contact list, not wanting toment on his unintelligence. Chu Yuzhou understood now. After praising Pei Zhi, he had another idea. ¡°Then how about I make a list of things they broke and ask them forpensation?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you should do?¡± Pei Zhi nced at him and suspected that he had drunk too much tonight and had gone stupid. He reminded her, ¡°Set the price higher.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Chu Yuzhou ordered the burly men to stop when the ambnces arrived. He turned off the screen and closed theptop in front of him. ¡°We¡¯ve watched the show. Shall we go up and y pool for a while?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi left the sofa first. When he walked past the messy private room, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Gu Quan, who was lying on the floor. Gu Quan, who felt a strong sense of oppression, raised his head with difficulty, but he only saw a shadow. He stared at the door for a long time. It was not until the doctors carrying a few stretchers entered his vision that he was able to return to his senses. * Tongji Hospital. The sound of high heels clicking could be heard. Su Tian, who rushed to the inpatient department, found Gu Quan¡¯s ward with the help of a nurse. ¡°What happened to you?¡± She pounced on him with red eyes, her gaze wandering over the wounds on his body. When Gu Quan saw her cry, his heart tightened. He stroked her cheek and smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just slightly injured.¡± ¡°Is this a slight injury?¡± Su Tian pointed at his arm and shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine in two days.¡± Gu Quan wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and felt his heart ache. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. Be good.¡± Su Tian bit her lower lip. ¡°Why did you fight?¡± ¡°Song Zhen got into a conflict with someone else.¡± ¡°Is he all right?¡± ¡°Still in the operating room.¡± ¡°That serious?¡± Su Tian widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°Did you call the police?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Gu Quan coughed and motioned for her to get some water. After he was done drinking, he said, ¡°Help me go over to check in on him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tian wrapped him in another nket and kissed his cheek before leaving. She found the nurse on duty and asked about Song Zhen before heading to He Qi¡¯s ward. One of He Qi¡¯s ribs was broken, and he was more seriously injured than Gu Quan. He was pretty much bedridden. When he saw Su Tianing over, he seemed to be drowned in joy. His pale face was more radiant. ¡°Are you in a lot of pain?¡± Su Tian asked anxiously. Her eyes were blurry from crying, making his heart skip a beat. She had always known He Qi¡¯s feelings towards her, but unfortunately, he waspletely iparable to Gu Quan. Even if she didn¡¯t know Gu Quan, it was still impossible for her to have anything to do with him. All she could give him was concern. ¡°Not really.¡± He looked at her intently, unable to hide the affection in his eyes. ¡°Did you just get to the hospital? Are you tired?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Su Tian touched the bandage on his chest and sighed. ¡°Those people are animals.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all trained.¡± He Qi did not want to embarrass himself in front of her, so he did not tell her how he was beaten up. In order to spend more time with her, he brought up Lin Jiao and said, ¡°Brother Quan wanted to make it up to her.¡± Su Tian¡¯s expression changed slightly. During this period of time, she had been so focused on contacting her former friends that she had forgotten about that woman. She smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s only right for him to make it up to her.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯d better not let Brother Quan have anything to do with her. What if she ruins your rtionship?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think she can.¡± ¡°Why?¡± At the thought of Lin Jiao¡¯s face, He Qi was filled with disgust. ¡°She¡¯s very scheming.¡± ¡°She still likes Gu Quan?¡± ¡°Obviously so.¡± Su Tian pretended to be deep in thought and did not show it no matter how disdainful she was. She only said, ¡°Actually, I can rte to her.¡± ¡°You can rte to her, but can she rte to you?¡± He Qi sneered and advised, ¡°Su Tian, you have to think for yourself.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± With that, Su Tian ended the topic. After leaving the ward, she walked along the corridor and called Lin Jiao in a quiet ce. Beep¡ªBeep¡ª A busy signal came from the receiver. Su Tian did not give up and dialed again. She leaned against the window and looked at the bright moon in the sky. The frustration in her heart became stronger and stronger as she waited. Just as she lost her patience, a voice gentle like water on the river entered her ears. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Miss Lin?¡± Her voice was very soft and carried a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯m Su Tian.¡± Lin Jiao was dumbstruck for a moment. Wrapped in a nket, she turned around sleepily and turned on the night light. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I want to talk to you aboutpensation. Are you free tomorrow afternoon?¡± ¡°Compensation for what?¡± Su Tian replied softly, ¡°We willpensate you for what you¡¯ve done for the past two years and try our best to make it up to you.¡± Lin Jiao sneered, and her sleepiness suddenly disappeared. She picked up the cup and took two sips. After a short moment of anger, she regained her rationality and said indifferently, ¡°Is this Gu Quan¡¯s idea?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Tian sounded slightly triumphant. ¡°You two broke up because of me, so in addition to thepensation he owes you, I will alsopensate you.¡± Chapter 34 I Know You Still Love Him ¡°Get Gu Quan to answer the phone.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have time right now. We can talk about it in person tomorrow.¡± Lin Jiao did not know how she coulde up with such ame lie as he didn¡¯t have time. She said calmly, ¡°Miss Su, Gu Quan and I are now strangers. Instead of spending time on me, why don¡¯t you think about how to grab his heart.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Then go and ask Gu Quan, who doesn¡¯t have time. He should be very happy to exin it to you.¡± Su Tian tightened her grip on the phone, and even her delicate face gradually became distorted with anger. ¡°Lin Jiao, you don¡¯t have to be sarcastic.¡± She took a deep breath and quicklyposed herself. ¡°I know you still love him, but love isn¡¯t something that can be done alone. It¡¯s useless to force it.¡± ¡°Miss Su.¡± Lin Jiao became even more impatient. ¡°There are many men in this world. Not everyone treats Gu Quan like a treasure like you.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao, are you kidding yourself?¡± Su Tian thought that Lin Jiao was pretending to be calm. She asked, ¡°If you don¡¯t love him, why did you do something to make him feel guilty?¡± Lin Jiao was confused. She looked up at the time on the screen and had no intention of talking nonsense with her. ¡°I suggest you go and see a psychiatrist first. If you dy any longer, there might be no cure.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao, you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± With that, Lin Jiao hung up. Su Tian called again, but no one answered. She was so angry that she threw her phone on the ground and stood in front of the window for a long time before suppressing the anger in her heart. * ¡°Boss, there¡¯s news.¡± After reading the files of information, Qu Shao hastened to report to Pei Zhi. Pei Zhi rubbed his eyebrows. He looked up at the clock on the wall and said in a low voice, ¡°Do you know what time it is?¡± ¡°One in the morning,¡± Qu Shao answered honestly. He could feel Pei Zhi¡¯s displeasure and hurriedly said, ¡°I don¡¯t want to disturb you, but the news is mind-blowing.¡± ¡°Send it to me.¡± ¡°Right away. Let me give you a voice call first.¡± Pei Zhi sat up on his bed. He ced a soft pillow to the back of his head. After answering the voice call, he went through the email Qu Shao sent in afortable position. It had to be said that the content of the emails was indeed very mind-blowing. From the day Su Tian left the country to the day before she returned, everything big and small was recorded in the form of photos, audio, and chat records. ¡°Boss, how far have you gone?¡± Qu Shao waited quietly. ¡°Page eighteen.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get to the mind-blowing part soon, then.¡± Pei Zhi read the entire email expressionlessly. He lit a cigarette and went back to when she first left the country. ¡°Did Gu Quan send someone to investigate her?¡± ¡°Not at the moment.¡± Qu Shao took two sips of water and said sarcastically, ¡°If he finds out, he¡¯ll probably break down.¡± Pei Zhi let out a snort. He closed the email and tapped his cigarette against the ashtray on the bedside table. ¡°No leaks without my permission.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± Qu Shao gulped down the water. ¡°I¡¯ll inform them immediately. I promise not a single word will leak out.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Pei Zhi hung up. Just as he was about to turn off the screen, he saw a red dot pop up on his Moments. He clicked on it and found a video posted by Chu Yuzhou. Underneath the video, a night owl who was still upmented something. Chapter 35 Pei Zhi Was Nervous ¡°Are you still up?¡± Lin Jiao was shocked by the vibration in her palm. She shivered with fright and quickly turned off the horror movie that was ying. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m scared to death by you!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I was watching a horror movie just now. When the female ghost jumped out, my phone rang. I was so scared that my palms were sweating. /Shivering GIF.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°My bad.¡± He changed the topic to make her feel better. ¡°Did you have insomnia?¡± ¡°Nodding GIF.¡± Lin Jiao took a few sips of cold water to calm down the fear in her heart. ¡°Why are you still up?¡± ¡°I was woken up by Qu Shao.¡± ¡°Is there something urgent in thepany?¡± ¡°No, he called the wrong number.¡± Pei Zhi adjusted the height of the pillow. ¡°Grab yourself a cup of milk. It¡¯s conducive to sleep. Don¡¯t stay up.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to move.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to or you don¡¯t dare to?¡± Lin Jiao felt like she was being seen through. She nced at the door and wrapped her legs tightly with the nket. ¡°Both.¡± Pei Zhi sent her a video call. When that face that was covered in dim light entered his sight, his heart melted. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll be by your side.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t hang up.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Lin Jiao mustered her courage and lifted the nket. She slowly walked to the door. The moment she pressed the door handle, the scene of the female ghost jumping out shed before her eyes. Pei Zhi reminded gently, ¡°Turn on the lights first.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Lin Jiao took a few steps to the right. She reached out a hand to touch the cold wall and quickly found the switch, letting the darkness around her bepletely dispelled by the warm light. Pei Zhi said with a chuckle. ¡°Don¡¯t watch too many horror movies in the future.¡± ¡°I asionally¡ª¡± ¡°Bang, bang, bang¡ª¡± Pei Zhi looked at the ceiling on the screen and quickly got out of bed. ¡°Jiaojiao, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Someone is smashing the door.¡± Lin Jiao was already in a high-strung state. After being frightened, her voice trembled. ¡°Go back to your room. I¡¯ll be there soon.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, did you hear me?¡± Pei Zhi clenched his fists tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. ¡°I heard you.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s attention was pulled back by him. She calmed herself down and tried her best to ignore the banging. She picked up the fruit knife on the coffee table and returned to the bedroom to lock the door. ¡°Is he still outside?¡± Pei Zhi got into the driver¡¯s seat and drove towards Ming Xin Mansion. ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao sat down with her back facing the door. This was the first time she had encountered such a situation. Her mind was in a mess. ¡°Uncle, will he break in?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Pei Zhi drove ahead, ignoring two red lights. ¡°The security door is very solid. Don¡¯t think too much to scare yourself.¡± Lin Jiao could not help but overthink. She listened to the violent sound that lingered in her ears and tightened her grip on the fruit knife. ¡°Uncle, where are you?¡± ¡°At the entrance of Ming Xin Mansion.¡± Pei Zhi told the security guard something before driving to the building and getting out of the car. He did not have time to wait for the elevator that was still on the 20th floor. He pushed open the door to the safe passage and ran up as fast as he could. Chapter 36 The Feeling of Being Protected by Him ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯ming up.¡± He panted heavily andforted her with his gentlest voice. Lin Jiao stared nkly at the man on the screen who was running up desperately. This feeling of being protected by someone reminded her of that rainy night when he held an umbre to protect her from the wind and rain. She pursed her lips and saw him push open the door to the passage on the eighth floor. She didn¡¯t have time to think anymore. ¡°Uncle, be careful.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll hang up first.¡± Pei Zhi was ready to fight, so he put his phone back into his pocket. As he arrived, he saw a man who reeked of alcohol and was shouting for his wife as he smashed the door. The security guards, who were a step behind, were speechless when they saw this scene. They dragged the man away and said to Pei Zhi, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. When he wakes up, we¡¯ll get him to apologize to you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Pei Zhi refused decisively. ¡°Tell his family that if this happens again, we¡¯ll see him in court.¡± The security guards responded with an extremely good attitude. After they left with the man, Pei Zhi took out his phone and called Lin Jiao. Not long after, a faint light could be seening from inside, and a kitten in a nightgown ran towards him. ¡°Uncle, are you alright?¡± Lin Jiao looked him up and down, her hoarse voice filled with worry, as if she was afraid that he would be injured. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± At her instruction, Pei Zhi walked into the living room. He drank the warm water she poured and briefly exined what happened outside the door. ¡°He won¡¯te again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lin Jiao copsed on the sofa, relieved. She put the fruit knife back and felt hungry. ¡°Uncle, do you want noodles?¡± ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll cook.¡± Pei Zhi put down his teacup and was about to walk into the kitchen when he was stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Go take a shower first.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Jiao repeated, ¡°Your back drenched in sweat. You¡¯ll feel ufortable if you don¡¯t wash up.¡± This time, Pei Zhi was sure that he had heard it correctly. Before he could speak, he saw Lin Jiao run back to the bedroom and take out a white bathrobe. ¡°This one is the biggest. You can make do with it for the night.¡± When Pei Zhi was pushed into the bathroom, he was still wondering if she meant to ask him to stay here for tonight. Seeing that he was standing in front of the washbowl motionlessly, Lin Jiao, who was introducing the shower gel, called out to him, ¡°Uncle, are you listening?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°The pink one on the shelf is shower gel. The blue one is shampoo. The brown one is a conditioner. Don¡¯t use it wrong.¡± Pei Zhi swallowed his salliva, saying, ¡°Alright.¡± He listened to the sound of footsteps leaving and sighed before slowly walking to the shower. The faint fragrance that filled the bathroom rushed into his nose and spread out across every inch of his skin. He lowered his eyes and looked at the white bubble that slid down his ankle. His heart felt as if it had been soaked in warm spring water. After a long time, he turned off the shower and returned to the mirror to put on his bathrobe. ¡°Uncle, does the bathrobe fit?¡± Lin Jiao asked when she noticed that the sound of water had stopped. ¡°Yeah.¡± Pei Zhi wiped the water off the sink, turned around, pushed open the bathroom door, and walked towards the kitchen. ¡°Is it done?¡± ¡°Done.¡± Lin Jiao turned around with the bowl. Her gaze moved down from his neck to his calves. ¡°This bathrobe looks so small on you.¡± ¡°Not really.¡± At least his knees were covered. Pei Zhi took the bowl and chopsticks from her hand. Just as he took a step towards the dining room, he was grabbed by the sleeve. ¡°Let¡¯s watch TV for a while.¡± Lin Jiao threw two cushions on the carpet and sat in front of the sofa with him, searching for a good show. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to see at this hour.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Thai drama. Do you want to watch it?¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Pei Zhi did not mind. As long as he was with her, he was already satisfied. He handed her the chopsticks. ¡°Aren¡¯t you sleepy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy now.¡± Lin Jiao used the tip of her chopsticks to roll up a few strands of noodles and put them into her mouth. She chewed and stared at the pping scene without blinking. ¡°Uncle, who do you think is prettier?¡± ¡°Do I have to choose?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it so serious. Just say what you want.¡± ¡°They¡¯re both ugly.¡± Lin Jiao was amused by his serious look. She took a bite of the omelet, her puffed cheeks making her look even cuter. ¡°Actually, both of them are transgender.¡± Pei Zhi swallowed a mouthful of noodles. ¡°Have you seen this show before? What¡¯s it about?¡± ¡°In short, in order to take revenge on the mistress who stole his father from his mother, the male protagonist underwent a gender-changing surgery to seduce the mistress¡¯s brother. A few days after the protagonist hooked up with him, he was snatched away by another transgender person.¡± ¡°What is the screenwriter trying to say?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Jiao poured some water into the cup and pushed it to him. ¡°Maybe the screenwriter wants to make a point that face-pping is joyful.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed very ¡®joyful¡¯.¡± Pei Zhi couldn¡¯t find a suitable word to describe it. He slowly finished his noodles and picked up his bowl and chopsticks before the second round of face-pping began. ¡°Uncle, let me wash it.¡± Without waiting for him to take a step forward, Lin Jiao grabbed his sleeve. Pei Zhi pulled her hand away. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He raised his chin at the LCD screen. ¡°This is very exciting. Don¡¯t miss it.¡± Lin Jiao didn¡¯t insist. She watched the face-pping scene with relish. When Pei Zhi came out after washing the dishes, she did not forget to tell him what he missed out on. Pei Zhi listened carefully and did not let slip a single word. He sat down beside her and, after this episode ended, he didn¡¯t allow her to watch another one. ¡°It¡¯s three o¡¯clock.¡± He turned off the television and rubbed her head. ¡°You should go to bed.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Lin Jiao pushed away the hair on the side of her face, not finding his action weird. Pei Zhi poured a cup of milk and stood by the side to watch her drink it all. His voice was still gentle as he said, ¡°You¡¯ll fall asleep after lying down for a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao put down the ss. She turned off the lights in the living room and went to the bathroom with him to brush her teeth. ¡°Uncle, do you have trouble sleeping in a new bed?¡± Chapter 37 Making Soup for Her ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi spat out the mouthwash. His mouth was still filled with the sweetness of peaches. He handed her a tissue and waited for her to wipe away the water on her lips before looking away. ¡°Uncle, wait a minute.¡± Lin Jiao suddenly thought of something and ran to the living room. She found a charger in the cab and stood in the doorway of the second bedroom. She pointed to the headboard. ¡°The plugs are on the right side.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Yi took the charger. He said good night to her and watched the door opposite close bit by bit before he was willing to switch off the light in the living room. Living under the same roof as her was something he had yearned for but could not ask for. When hey on the bed and was wrapped in the nket she used, he felt like his life wasplete. He was facing the white wall, and his mind was filled with the image of her. With her in mind, he fell asleep in no time. As the sun rose, the cicadas resting on the willow trees let out a series of cries. Summer was their mating season. The hotter the sun was, the louder it cried, causing the entire neighborhood to be filled with high-pitched noises. Before Pei Zhi¡¯s rm could go off, he was woken up. He looked at the time on his phone. After the brain fog went away, he walked into the bathroom to wash up and prepare lunch for her. At noon, a strong fragrance of soup spread from the kitchen. As soon as Lin Jiao opened the door, she was attracted by the fragrance. She ran into the kitchen in her slippers and disheveled hair. ¡°Uncle, are you making soups?¡± Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao nced at the pot like a kitten waiting to be fed. She waited for Pei Zhi to blow on the soup to cool it down before taking the spoon from him and drinking it in satisfaction. ¡°How does it taste?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very delicious. I usually like to put the ginseng in the chicken soup. I didn¡¯t expect you to do the same.¡± Many people could not ept this smell. For example, every time she made chicken soup with ginseng, Gu Quan would frown with displeasure. Pei Zhi thought of something. ¡°I still have a few kilograms of Pilose Asiabell ginseng. I¡¯ll give it to you another day.¡± ¡°How much is Pilose Asiabell ginseng now?¡± ¡°About six hundred.¡± Lin Jiao replied, ¡°Then I¡¯ll cook chicken soup for you next time.¡± She handed him the spoon and resisted the urge to take another sip. ¡°Okay.¡± This was what Pei Zhi wanted the most. ¡°Go wash up first.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°I¡¯lle to help youter.¡± She left the kitchen with light steps, washed up as quickly as possible, and returned to her room to change into another set of nightgown. While passing the second bedroom, she vaguely heard a vibration, so she followed the sound to the bed and picked up the phone. ¡°Uncle, your phone is ringing.¡± ¡°From whom?¡± ¡°Chu Yuzhou.¡± Pei Zhi was too busy cooking to care about Chu Yuzhou. He shouted from the kitchen, ¡°Help me answer the call.¡± Lin Jiao pressed the answer button. Before she could say a word, she heard him ask, ¡°Brother Pei, have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet. He¡¯s cooking.¡± Chu Yuzhou was so shocked that he dropped his cigarette. He swallowed his saliva and double-checked if the number he called was correct. He asked tentatively, ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao bit open the packet of biscuits and stuffed a piece into her mouth to fill her stomach. ¡°Why are you calling him?¡± Chapter 38 Looking forward to the day when the fake show bes real Chu Yuzhou was d that he did not mention Gu Quan. He picked up the cigarette that had fallen to the ground. He was eager to gossip, but he was afraid of making Pei Zhi angry, so he could only fight the urge back. ¡°Nothing serious.¡± He put the cigarette in his mouth again and pressed the lighter. ¡°Did Brother Yan call you?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s treating us to dinner tonight.¡± Lin Jiao was puzzled. ¡°Isn¡¯t he in Lin city?¡± ¡°He came back this morning.¡± Chu Yuzhou blew out a stream of smoke. ¡°You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll send you the addresster.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao swallowed the biscuit in her mouth. She turned off the screen. Just as she was about to get up and go to the kitchen to help, Zhou Yanshen gave her a call. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you free tonight?¡± His voice was very special. It was slightly hoarse and carried a trace of coldness, making him sound mysterious. ¡°Yes, Chu Yuzhou just told me.¡± Lin Jiao walked to the dining room and wiped the table. ¡°Are you in a rtionship again?¡± ¡°What do you mean again? This is my first love.¡± How shameless, Lin Jiao thought to herself. Lin Jiao didn¡¯t even want to expose him. ¡°How long do you n tost this rtionship? After dinner tonight?¡± ¡°Of course it won¡¯t be so quick?¡± Zhou Yanshen hugged the beauty beside him and said with a smile, ¡°This time, I¡¯m aiming at marriage.¡± When Lin Jiao heard this, she knew that his new girlfriend was next to him. She didn¡¯t say anything else. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you tonight.¡± ¡°Do you want me to pick you up?¡± ¡°No need. I¡¯lle with Uncle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re calling him ¡®Uncle¡¯ again?¡± Zhou Yanshen was very dissatisfied with this form of address. ¡°Jiaojiao, don¡¯t lower my seniority.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not my biological uncle.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the same.¡± Lin Jiao replied perfunctorily and hung up before he could go on rattle away. She pushed open the kitchen door and saw that Pei Zhi had already finished making two dishes. She felt embarrassed. ¡°Uncle, thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Pei Zhi wiped dry his hands and handed the te to her. ¡°What did Chu Yuzhou say?¡± Lin Jiao summarized it. When she talked about Zhou Yanshen being in a new rtionship, she said with a shake of her head, ¡°Why doesn¡¯t he just find a good girl and settle down?¡± Pei Zhi followed after her. ¡°He hasn¡¯t met anyone who really likes him. How can he settle down?¡± ¡°No?¡± Lin Jiao sat down beside him. ¡°I think thest one was not bad. She seemed to like him.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± ¡°From the way she looked at him.¡± ¡°Have you forgotten her profession?¡± Pei Zhi picked up the spoon and scooped a bowl of soup for her. Lin Jiao suddenly remembered. She took two sips of soup and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s too difficult to find true love in the entertainment industry.¡± Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. ¡°Indeed.¡± Being in the entertainment industry, it was very difficult for Zhou Yanshen to find out if the girls really liked him. Perhaps he had tried at the beginning, but as more and more people wanted to use him to climb up the socialdder, he was probably too disappointed to believe in true love again. Lin Jiao looked up and suddenly asked, ¡°Uncle, have you ever thought of dating?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Then have you never dated anyone?¡± Pei Zhi looked into her eyes and said with a meaningful smile, ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡± She asked again, ¡°What type do you like?¡± ¡°Girls who are sometimes cute and sometimes sexy.¡± Pei Zhi was afraid that she would notice something, so he only gave a rough description. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all at the moment.¡± ¡°This type is quite easy to find.¡± Lin Jiao took a spoonful of rice and teased, ¡°The one who wooed you before was exactly the type.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Chu Yuzhou¡¯s ex-girlfriend¡¯s best friend.¡± ¡°You remember it so clearly?¡± If not for her mentioning it, Pei Zhi would have forgotten about that woman. ¡°How can I forget her? She even called me just to get a chance to meet you.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be annoyed.¡± Lin Jiao knew that he wasn¡¯t into that woman, so how could she make things difficult for him? A trace of joy appeared in Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes. He put two pieces of corn into her bowl and stared at her side face. He asked curiously, ¡°How did you reject her?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Lin Jiao hesitated and asked him first, ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t get angry.¡± Pei Zhi had a bad feeling. He¡¯d guessed that there was more to this than met the eye, but since she¡¯d already put it that way, he certainly wouldn¡¯t get angry. ¡°Yes, I promise.¡± ¡°And you also can¡¯t get angry with Yn either.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t¡± After receiving his promise, Lin Jiao said, ¡°At that time, she annoyed me and Yn relentlessly, so Yn sent me a photo. After I forwarded it to her, she finally stopped.¡± ¡°What photo?¡± ¡°A photo of your bedroom.¡± ¡°What else? Let me see.¡± Pei Zhi could not imagine what was so special about that bedroom photo. ¡°Let me find it.¡± Lin Jiao downed the soup. She took the tissue from Pei Zhi and leanedzily on the chair. She found the photo. ¡°Take a look at it. I¡¯ll wash the dishes.¡± Pei Zhi did not fight to wash the dishes this time. He clicked on the photo. The first thing that came into view was the crumpled gray bed sheets. On the bed sheetsy lipstick and a blue tie. And¡­ his boxer shorts. Pei Zhi looked at the photo and did not know what to say. He tapped on the screen. After the photo that filled the screen was gone, he noticed a few more text messages. ¡°He¡¯s taking a shower. He might not have time.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship?¡± ¡°As you can see. /Shy. Alright, that¡¯s all I can tell you. My hands are still too sore to type.¡± Pei Zhi looked at the messages, and a scene shed across his mind at the words ¡°My hands are too sore¡±. Even though he knew that this was a show put on by Pei Yn and Lin Jiao, he still hoped that it would turn into reality one day. ¡°Uncle?¡± Lin Jiao came out after washing the dishes. Seeing that he was still sitting there in a daze, she waved her hand in front of his eyes. ¡°Huh?¡± Pei Zhi met her big eyes and immediately concealed all his emotions. ¡°Help me untie my apron.¡± She turned around. Pei Zhi¡¯s hand brushed past her fair skin and held the dead knot. He narrowed his eyes and focused on untying the apron. ¡°Were you the one who came up with those messages?¡± ¡°Only the first one is.¡± Lin Jiao recalled the photo and wanted tough. ¡°I think Yn is very talented in photography.¡± Pei Zhi did not deny it. After all, when he first saw the photo, his imagination really ran wild. ¡°All right.¡± He untied the knot in her apron and changed the subject. ¡°Are you done in the kitchen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Jiao handed him the cup and looked at the time. ¡°What time are we leaving?¡± Chapter 39 Stunningly Dressed Up ¡°Four o¡¯clock.¡± Pei Zhi adjusted his cor and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and change first. I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao sent him to the door. She handed over the car key on the shoe cab. When the figure disappeared, she quickly closed the door to block out the heat wave. She walked to the wardrobe and looked at the dresses and women¡¯s bags, not knowing what to dress for tonight. It was not difficult to tell that the sexy dresses were all chosen by Lan Ying. The remaining ones that looked cute were prepared by Lin Hongyuan and his current wife. Inparison, Lin Jiao was more inclined to the former. She opened the ss cab and chose a wine-colored halter dress from the pile. Then, she matched it with a set of jewelry, a chain bag, and high heels. She had not dressed up seriously in a long time. After changing her clothes, she sat in front of the mirror and put on some makeup. ¡°Lin Jiao, I¡¯m downstairs.¡± Pei Zhi nced at the watch on his wrist. It was exactly four o¡¯clock. ¡°Are you done changing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m still doing my hair.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Take your time.¡± Lin Jiao quickly put on lipstick before walking out in her ck high heels. The car door opened a momentter. When Pei Zhi, who was smoking, caught sight of her, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to look away. A woman in a wine-red dress bent down and got into the car. A few strands of curly hair rippled on her shoulders, vaguely revealing her neck. She turned around and found her seatbelt. When she turned to look at him, the smile on her lips dazzled him, and everything behind her became her backdrop. Pei Zhi had not seen her like this for a long time. It was as if she had returned to that year when she bumped into his arms with a faint fragrance and barged into his world without warning. ¡°Uncle, the cigarette ash is about to fall.¡± Lin Jiao was afraid that the sparks wouldnd on him, so she leaned over with an ashtray. Only then did Pei Zhi feel the heat on his fingertips. He threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray and casually nced at her corbone before looking away, not daring to look at her anymore. ¡°This dress suits you very well.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said. She would probably break into his dream tonight. Lin Jiao brushed the end of her dress and smiled. She opened the message on WeChat. ¡°Uncle, Yn can onlye at night.¡± ¡°Ignore her.¡± If she didn¡¯te, Pei Zhi would have time to spend with Lin Jiao. ¡°Help me navigate the road.¡± After replying, Lin Jiao clicked on the location sent by Zhou Yanshen and asked him, ¡°What navigation voice do you like? Lin Chi-Ling or Crayon Shin-chan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine with either.¡± ¡°Lin Chi-Ling then.¡± Pei Zhi had no objections. Holding the steering wheel with one hand, he watched the rearview mirror as he made a U turn. ¡°Do you like her voice?¡± ¡°Kinda.¡± Lin Jiao adjusted the height of the seat and leaned back in satisfaction. ¡°I sometimes imitate her voice with Pei Yn.¡± ¡°Show me.¡± ¡°Forget it. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get goosebumps.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°Do you really want to hear it?¡± ¡°If you want to.¡± He¡¯d never forced her to do anything. What she wanted was the priority. Lin Jiao cleared her throat. ¡°I¡¯ll only imitate her voice once.¡± Chapter 40 I Just Want to Seal That Lips She did not feel any pressure when being with Pei Zhi. In addition, she had a good time with him. ¡°Turn right at the intersection ahead.¡± A gentle voice entered Pei Zhi¡¯s ears like an electric current. If they were a couple, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to resist stepping on the brakes and covering her lips to listen to her whimper. ¡°Uncle, how¡¯s my imitation?¡± Lin Jiao smiled at him, not knowing the dangerous thoughts he had in mind. ¡°Good.¡± Pei Zhi tightened his grip on the steering wheel, trying to calm down. He then asked tentatively, ¡°Have you said to anyone in that voice?¡± ¡°Just you and Yn.¡± Lin Jiao turned around, her back facing the ring sunlight. ¡°Other than you two, no one wants to hear it.¡± Pei Zhi felt a sense of satisfaction. He paid attention to the cars nearby. ¡°Even if they wanted to hear it, they wouldn¡¯t be able to.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± She waited for Pei Zhi to drive the car into the parking lot of the mall before getting out of the car with him. ¡°Come this way.¡± Pei Zhi wrapped his arm slightly around her waist to lead her. He slowed down to match her pace. When they were in the elevator, he was unwilling to let go. The number finally stopped at the top floor. When the waiter waiting outside saw theme out, he respectfully raised his hand and led them to a terrace. At this moment, the sun was still very bright. When the sunlight shone on the pool, the sparkling waves were especially dazzling. Lin Jiao, who was always afraid of heat, strode to the front and pushed open the hot ss door to enter with him. ¡°Brother Pei, you look radiant today.¡± Chu Yuzhou looked at the two of them and teased. Shen Yi, who was sitting beside him, also looked at them with interest, but he did not speak. ¡°You too.¡± Pei Zhi smiled casually. He took a ss of juice from the table filled with wine and handed it to Lin Jiao. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Yanshen here yet?¡± ¡°His girlfriend is going to buy a gift for Lin Jiao.¡± Chu Yuzhou toasted them. ¡°They probably went to the mall.¡± Lin Jiao asked with her mouth wide open, ¡°Me again?¡± She couldn¡¯t even count how many gifts she had received from her sisters-inw. It was as if without gifts, they weren¡¯t allowed to meet her. ¡°Only you have this kind of treatment.¡± ¡°Have you never received one?¡± ¡°Shen Yi seemed to have received one.¡± Chu Yuzhou thought for a moment. ¡°In any case, I haven¡¯t.¡± Shen Yi handed them two cigarettes. ¡°It was because that day was my birthday.¡± ¡°Then did you return a gift?¡± ¡°He broke up too quickly that I didn¡¯t even have a chance to do so.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chu Yuzhou showed them the gossip he saw a few days ago. ¡°Among the three girls he is rumored to be with recently, guess who will show up?¡± Lin Jiao leaned over to take a look at the photo of the girls. Based on her past experience, she pointed at the entertainment trainee. ¡°She has a 60% chance.¡± ¡°My thoughts are the opposite of yours. She¡¯s probably just using Brother Yan to make herself known. Only the actress is likely.¡± ¡°But the actress isn¡¯t his type.¡± ¡°His type can change at any time.¡± Chu Yuzhou was very certain. ¡°Why don¡¯t we make a bet?¡± ¡°On what?¡± ¡°The loser must satisfy a request from the winner.¡± Lin Jiao agreed almost without thinking. She knew very well that even if she lost, he would not make an unreasonable request. ¡°President Pei, did you bring her home?¡± Shen Yi also started gossiping. ¡°She brought me home.¡± ¡°Did you sleep at her apartmentst night?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pei Zhi took two sips of red wine. His eyes were filled with gentleness as he looked at her. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re not far from being single.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Attract her with your charm. She will definitely be tempted.¡± Pei Zhi replied, ¡°I know.¡± All he needed was time to make his moves. ¡°Brother Pei, what are you talking about?¡± Chu Yuzhou walked over with Lin Jiao and took the initiative to give the seat beside Pei Zhi to Lin Jiao. ¡°Nothing.¡± Pei Zhi picked up the fruit te and pushed the mangoes to the side. ¡°Ask Yanshen where he is.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Just as Chu Yuzhou was about to make a call, a man and a woman walked in against the sun. Zhou Yanshen, who was walking in front, was wearing a Versace shirt with a ssic Baro print. After greeting them, he put his arm around his new girlfriend and introduced, ¡°This is my girlfriend, Du Wei.¡± Du Wei smiled brightly at them. She looked at Lin Jiao in surprise. ¡°Yanshen, is she Jiaojiao?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen took a step forward. He rubbed Lin Jiao¡¯s head and looked at her. ¡°Jiaojiao, call her sister-inw.¡± Lin Jiao had no choice but to go through the motions. She epted the gift from Du Wei. After expressing her gratitude, she praised Du Wei sincerely. Du Wei was beaming with smiles upon hearing the praises. She wanted to get closer to Lin Jiao. After sitting down beside her, she started a conversation centered around Zhou Yanshen. ¡°Are you two siblings?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao shuffled back slightly. She took the fruit te from Pei Zhi and took a bite of a watermelon. ¡°We are not biologically rted.¡± Chapter 41 - She Really Didn’t Like Gu Quan Anymore

Chapter 41: She Really Didn¡¯t Like Gu Quan Anymore

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

¡°I see.¡± Du Wei did not dare to ask further, afraid that she would ask something that she should not know. Lin Jiao answered the question she wanted to ask. ¡°Although we¡¯re not biologically rted, we have the same grandfather.¡± ¡°God grandfather?¡± ¡°God grandfather? He¡¯s my real grandfather.¡± At this moment, Zhou Yanshen joined the conversation. He thought of that dangerous summer. ¡°If not for the old man, I¡¯m afraid I would already be buried six feet under.¡± It was probably when he was eight years old. At that time, he went to his grandmother¡¯s house for a short stay during the summer vacation. Because it was too hot and he was naughty, he followed a group of kids to the river to swim. Theypeted to see who could swim further. He waspetitive by nature and swam deeper into the river, but before he could stabilize himself, he was washed away by the sudden current that ran down from upstream. Thepanion closest to him was frightened to see him struggling. However, not only did he not reach out to pull him back, but he also left him behind and swam back with all his might. Even after all these years, Zhou Yanshen still remembered the fear, helplessness, and panic of facing death. He was wrapped in the torrential current and was slowly drowned. No matter how he struggled, it was all in vain. The cries for help were getting louder and louder. Just as he was about to lose all his strength, an old man fishing on the shore swam towards him. He still vividly remembered the anxious expression on the old man¡¯s face and hisforting voice. After that¡­ Under the suggestion of his parents, he acknowledged the old man as his grandfather and had been apanying him from then on in a bid to show his gratitude. ¡°Fortunately, you were saved.¡± Du Wei pounced into his arms, her eyes red. ¡°I¡¯ll also treat him as my own grandfather in the future.¡± Zhou Yanshen lowered his head and kissed her forehead. He did not agree or refuse and changed the topic. ¡°Jiaojiao, have you been to see him recently?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then shall we go together next week?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao wiped the watermelon stain off her lips and was about to ask Pei Zhi when she was interrupted by Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Brother Yan, it¡¯s six o¡¯clock.¡± He waved his phone to remind him of the time. ¡°If we don¡¯t start eating, I¡¯m gonna starve to death!¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at him in disdain. He raised his chin at the round table on the right. After everyone was seated, he called the waiter to serve some dessert. ¡°Jiaojiao, I heard you broke up with Gu Quan?¡± He fed Du Wei a piece of macaroon as he asked. Only he had the guts to ask her this question in public. Other than Pei Zhi, the others were all observing Lin Jiao¡¯s expression. Seeing that there she didn¡¯t look angry, they heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He¡¯s with someone else.¡± Lin Jiao looked up and met his angry and worried eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t like him anymore.¡± She wasn¡¯t lying. She really did not like Gu Quan anymore. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Zhou Yanshen could tell that she was not pretending to be calm. He suppressed the anger in his heart and thought that when she was not around, he would discuss with Pei Zhi and the others about teaching Gu Quan a lesson. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Du Wei filled her ss with juice. ¡°If you are ready to begin a new rtionship, I can introduce some people to you.¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t need you to introduce people to her.¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at Pei Zhi and smiled meaningfully. ¡°There are plenty of people who want to woo her.¡± Chapter 42 - Not Only in the Past

Chapter 42: Not Only in the Past

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Lin Jiao was puzzled. ¡°Really?¡± She pointed the knife and fork at the cherry foie gras that the waiter had just brought over. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± ¡°Yes, but you just didn¡¯t notice it.¡± ¡°You did?¡± ¡°If you didn¡¯t notice it, how could he notice it?¡± Shen Yi was afraid that Zhou Yanshen would say something he shouldn¡¯t, so he quickly interrupted. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Yuzhou agreed. He nced at someone and raised his ss to toast Zhou Yanshen to prevent him from bringing the topic up again. ¡°I wish you and Du Wei a happy life!¡± Du Wei clinked sses with him. ¡°Thank you.¡± The atmosphere at the dining table was very lively. They chatted until the sun set. After the heat wave that filled the air dissipated with the wind, they went to the open-air garden to have a drink. ¡°Do you want to y games?¡± Chu Yuzhou rubbed the wine bottle, wanting to help Pei Zhi. ¡°ying what?¡± ¡°Truth or dare. How about that?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Shen Yi saw through him and asked cooperatively, ¡°Is there a limit to what we can do?¡± ¡°Do as you deem fit.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go first.¡± Zhou Yanshen wiped the water off the bottle with a tissue and spun it gently on the table. Everyone looked at the wine bottle and watched as it slowed down. In the end¡­ it was pointed at Chu Yuzhou. ¡°I¡¯ll choose Truth.¡± He was afraid of being asked to do something uneptable by Zhou Yanshen, so he decided to choose Truth. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your honest words.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what you are interested in. I¡¯m going for Truth.¡± Seeing that he was determined not to choose Dare, Zhou Yanshen gave the opportunity of asking a question to Du Wei. However, Du Wei only asked questions like ¡°how many girlfriends have you been with?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my turn.¡± Chu Yuzhou rubbed his hands and spun the wine bottle. Perhaps the wine bottle knew what he was up to, it stopped moving after pointing at Lin Jiao. ¡°I choose Dare.¡± Lin Jiao was different from him. She liked challenges. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± At first, Chu Yuzhou wanted to take it slow, but he didn¡¯t expect her to be so bold. He was stunned. ¡°Wait, let me think.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten seconds.¡± Zhou Yanshen raised his hand and pointed at the dial on his wrist. ¡°If you can¡¯t think of anything, we¡¯ll move on.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Three seconds left.¡± Chu Yuzhou¡¯s mind raced. In a hurry, he said, ¡°How about this? Get someone to carry you and do squats.¡± ¡°Get someone to carry me?¡± ¡°Yes, do fifteen squats.¡± Seeing that he was deliberately making things easy for her, Lin Jiao chuckled and asked Zhou Yanshen, ¡°Brother Yan, do you want to exercise?¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at someone who had a disappointed look on his face and almostughed out loud. He cleared his throat and said lightly, ¡°Jiaojiao, I exercised with your sister-inw until fourst night. My back still hurts, so I might not be able to do squats.¡± ¡°Yanshen¡­¡± Du Wei red at him and burrowed into his arms, her face red with embarrassment. ¡°My good girl.¡± Zhou Yanshen hugged her tighter. His loving tone made everyone want to beat him up. Lin Jiao was even more speechless. She looked around and chose someone she was most familiar with. ¡°Uncle, can you carry me?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Pei Zhi answered readily with a calm expression. He walked to an empty spot and squatted down, giving his broad back to her. When he felt something soft pressing against, he held her leg. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m ready.¡± Lin Jiao hugged his neck and stared at him. Pei Zhi took a deep breath to calm his racing heart and looked at the swimming pool not far away. In such a fashion, he did 15 squats with Lin Jiao on his back. Even though he had been trying his best to do it slowly, time still flew by. He could only put her down unwillingly. ¡°It¡¯s my turn this time, right?¡± Lin Jiao returned to the table and grabbed the wine bottle. Chu Yuzhou nodded. ¡°Go ahead.¡± He sent the photo he had secretly taken to Pei Zhi and gave him a look. Pei Zhi ignored him. He looked at the bottle that was pointed at him and raised an eyebrow. He chose Truth. Lin Jiao asked casually, ¡°Uncle, have you ever had a crush on anyone in the past?¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°Yes.¡± Not only in the past. Chapter 43 - Who Is Taking Advantage of Who?

Chapter 43: Who Is Taking Advantage of Who?

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Lin Jiao did not expect this answer. They had known each other for many years, but she had never seen him with a woman. Perhaps out of curiosity, she looked into his eyes and asked, ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°You can only ask one question.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes were filled with emotions that she could not understand. He smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I can.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. She guessed that he might not want to mention his crush in front of so many people, so she stopped asking. In the sixth round, the wine bottle stopped moving when it was pointed at Chu Yuzhou, who was afraid of choosing dare. At Zhou Yanshen¡¯s relentless request, he took off his shirt, jumped into the pool, and tried to bnce a small ball on the tip of his nose like a seal performing a trick. ¡°Brother Yan, is that enough?¡± He raised his hands to bnce himself and stared at the ball intently. ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? It¡¯s not time yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Chu Yuzhou, I didn¡¯t know you were so talented.¡± A mocking voice interrupted him. Pei Yn, who camete, walked to the pool and leaned over to touch the ck ball. She smiled and said, ¡°Do it again for me, will you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Chu Yuzhou rolled his eyes. He slowly moved forward and grabbed her hand when she was unprepared. He pulled her down with all his might, not showing anypassion for a woman at all. With a loud ssh, water spilled on the surface of the pool. Even the floating ball was knocked to the other side. Pei Yn held Chu Yuzhou¡¯s arm and pushed aside the hair that blocked her vision. ¡°Chu Yuzhou, you¡¯re finished!¡± She gave him a hard pinch. Sensing that he wanted to run, she quickly grabbed him. Chu Yuzhou did not want to be pinched and swam to the poolside with all his might. However, much to everyone¡¯s surprise, Pei Yn grabbed his shorts. Before he could stop her, the shorts slid down to his ankles. He looked at the pair of shorts that was thrown away by her and said embarrassedly, ¡°Do you have to go so far?¡± ¡°Why did you pull me down?¡± ¡°I just want to swim with you.¡± Pei Yn snorted. ¡°Cut that crap!¡± She swam to the edge of the pool, put on the white bathrobe Lin Jiao handed her, and tied up her wet hair. ¡°Pass me my pants.¡± Chu Yuzhou ced his hands on the poolside and looked at her with a fawning smile. ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re not wearing anything.¡± ¡°Aiya, there are so many eyes watching.¡± Pei Yn nced down and saw him covering his lower body. She said disdainfully, ¡°What makes you think we want to see that tiny thing?¡± ¡°You just saw it.¡± ¡°You need to see an ophthalmologist to treat your bad eye sight. I¡¯m not interested in your lousy body figure at all, okay?¡± ¡°You call this a lousy figure?¡± Chu Yuzhou left the pool and grabbed her hand to ce it on his abs. Lin Jiao did not want to continue watching the show. She turned around and returned to the table. Just as she pulled out a chair and was about to sit down, she saw Pei Yn kick Chu Yuzhou back into the pool. ¡°Bastard, how dare you take advantage of me!¡± Pei Yn rolled her eyes and took a few tissues from the table to wipe her hands in disdain. ¡°Pei Yn, are you crazy?¡± Chu Yuzhou was furious. He climbed back to the poolside and put on his pants before questioning her, ¡°Exin it! Who is taking advantage of whom?¡± Pei Yn gritted her teeth. ¡°You take advantage of me!¡± Chapter 44 - He Kissed Her Out of Anger

Chapter 44: He Kissed Her Out of Anger

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Chu Yuzhou was used to seeing her distort the truth. He approached her step by step and looked down at her with his height advantage, grabbing her ponytail. ¡°Do you want me to show you what it means to take advantage of someone?¡± He leaned over, almost kissing her on the cheek. Pei Yn was not to be outdone at all. She crossed her arms and looked straight into his eyes. ¡°Show me then, if you have the ball.¡± ¡°You said it.¡± ¡°I said¡­¡± Pei Yn was not the only one who was stunned when she felt a warm touch on her cheek . Everyone else present widened their eyes in disbelief. Chu Yuzhou regretted it immediately after kissing her. He quickly pulled a safe distance away from her, all his anger reced by awkwardness. ¡°You asked me to kiss you. I didn¡¯t force you.¡± ¡°Chu Yuzhou!!¡± Pei Yn was embarrassed and angry. She looked around, picked up the bag on the chair, and threw it at him, looking like she wasn¡¯t gonna let him live to see the sun rising tomorrow. Chu Yuzhou ran around the long table and was busy dodging the objects she threw at him one after another. ¡°I am sorry, I am sorry!¡± Only when he got hit a few times did the show end. Pei Yn was finally appeased. She sat down beside Lin Jiao and took two sips of wine. ¡°What game were you ying just now?¡± Lin Jiao smacked her lips. Before she could speak, she heard Du Wei say, ¡°Truth or Dare.¡± Only then did Pei Yn notice her presence. She raised an eyebrow and looked at Zhou Yanshen. Zhao Yanshen introduced, ¡°This is Du Wei, my girlfriend.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± Pei Yn really did not like the speed at which he changed girlfriends. She greeted Du Wei politely. ¡°Yn, do you want to join us?¡± Du Wei smiled and clinked sses with her. She already treated herself as a part of this clique. ¡°I¡¯m good.¡± Pei Yn put down her ss and replied politely, ¡°I have something to say to Jiaojiao. You guys go on/¡± She gave Lin Jiao a look, and thetter followed her into the room, leaving the rest to continue the game. ¡°Yn, did you find him?¡± Lin Jiao was indeed her best friend. She could tell what was on Pei Yn¡¯s mind at a nce. Pei Yn sighed heavily. ¡°I was deceived.¡± ¡°By him?¡± ¡°Not by him.¡± ¡°Then by whom?¡± Lin Jiao frowned, confused. ¡°I posted his blurred photo on the photoshop forum, right? Then, a few self-imed photoshop experts looked for me and asked me to pay a deposit and promised to give the fixed photo back to me in a few days.¡± ¡°Then they ran away with the money?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn said in frustration, ¡°It¡¯s a small sum of money to me. I just feel frustrated.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Jiao hugged her gently andforted her. ¡°Let¡¯s think of another way.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to find him.¡± Pei Yn lowered her head with worries written all across her face. It was rare for her to be so in love with someone, but her journey of finding him was full of obstacles. Was there really no fate between them? ¡°How is that possible?¡± Lin Jiao wiped her wet hair. ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. If you really can¡¯t, get Uncle to help.¡± ¡°No!¡± Pei Yn suddenly looked up and quickly refused. ¡°I can¡¯t let him know about this. Otherwise, he¡¯ll give me a long and tedious lecture again.¡± Lin Jiao asked, ¡°Then should I get Brother Yan to help?¡± Chapter 45 - Your Mind Is Occupied by That Person

Chapter 45: Your Mind Is upied by That Person

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Pei Yn¡¯s eyes lit up. She knew how important Lin Jiao was to Zhou Yanshen and he would definitely keep it a secret. ¡°If you didn¡¯t tell me, I would have forgotten about him!¡± Lin Jiao twirled a few strands of her hair and teased, ¡°I think these days, your mind is entirely upied by that person.¡± ¡°No, I still have you in my heart.¡± Pei Yn leaned on her shoulder and smiled brightly. ¡°Friendshipes first, lovees second.¡± ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡°Really! It¡¯s not like I care about my lover more than my friend.¡± Lin Jiao believed her for the time being. She dried her wet hair. When they walked out together hand in hand, they happened to see Zhou Yanshen, who was going to the washroom, so they followed him. ¡°Jiaojiao, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I have something to ask of you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t hold back? Just tell me.¡± Zhou Yanshen shook off the water on his hand and brought her to an empty spot. Lin Jiao briefly exined what happened to Pei Yn. After hearing the whole story, Zhou Yanshen raised an eyebrow. ¡°You want me to help her get back the money?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find that person first.¡± ¡°Do you have a photo of him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao opened the chat history and sent him the photo screenshot from the surveince camera footage. ¡°How long will it take you to find him?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked at the photo before sending it to his assistant. ¡°Isn¡¯t she afraid that this man might not be a good guy?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°It could be that he approached her intentionally to achieve a certain goal.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Inparison, Lin Jiao felt that he was more likely to be a deadbeat. ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± Zhou Yanshen had seen many dirty things, so it was inevitable that he would overthink. After all, with the Pei family¡¯s status, it was not unlikely that people would try to get close to Pei Yn with purpose. ¡°Let¡¯s find him first.¡± Lin Jiao turned off the screen. ¡°If he really is up to no good, I believe Yn will be rational enough to stop this rtionship.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± He didn¡¯t say anything else. When they returned to the open-air garden, Lin Jiao suddenly stopped him and reminded him in a low voice, ¡°Brother Yan, don¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°Got you.¡± Zhou Yanshen rubbed her head. Their interaction made Pei Zhi envious. Unfortunately, he could not be so intimate with her in front of the others. He took a deep breath and poured a ss of fruit wine for her. ¡°Drink less.¡± He was afraid she would get drunk again. ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao smiled, her eyes reflecting the chandelier. It was mesmerizing. Pei Zhi rubbed his eyes to pull his wandering mind back before continuing the game. They yed until almost midnight before putting down their sses. Before they separated, Zhou Yanshen called out to them, ¡°The charity banquet I¡¯m holding is on Friday. Remember toe.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Pei Yn, who was drunk, waved at the couple who was gradually walking away and ran over to grab Chu Yuzhou¡¯s cor. ¡°Where¡¯s your car?¡± She seemed to have forgotten what had happened between them and treated him as usual. Chu Yuzhou said, ¡°On the right.¡± ¡°Then help me over.¡± Pei Yn leaned against him weakly, too exhausted to walk. ¡°Why should I?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m pretty!¡± Chu Yuzhou had never seen such a shameless person. He was forced to hold her. After bidding goodbye to the rest of them, he leaned over and stuffed Pei Yn into the back seat before getting into the passenger seat and waiting for the designated driver toe and drive. When Lin Jiao heard them bickering, she shook her head helplessly. ¡°They¡¯re really born enemies.¡± Chapter 46 - Annoyed At Her Recklessness

Chapter 46: Annoyed At Her Recklessness

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Pei Zhi smiled but did not say anything. He put his arm around Lin Jiao¡¯s waist and got into the car with her. Because of the designated driver, he raised the partition in the middle to iste the front and back. In the quiet environment, Lin Jiao nodded off and quickly fell asleep. Seeing that her head was about to hit the window, Pei Zhi quickly reached out and pulled her into his arms. He looked at her sleeping face and ced his palm on the top of her head, caressing it gently. Perhaps because she felt safe, she grabbed his cor and rubbed her face against his chest. This act of dependence made Pei Zhi almost lose his rationality. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead gently. Lin Jiao, who did not feel anything, leaned against him obediently, but his heart was beating like a drum. He suppressed the urge to cross the line and touched the ce he had kissed. His fingertips felt like they were on fire. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re here.¡± The voice from the driver¡¯s seat pulled him back to reality. Pei Zhi nodded and stopped recalling the touch that mesmerized him. The heat on his fingertips also dissipated during the journey. ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± he called out to her. Lin Jiao felt something and her eyshes fluttered. She looked up at the face that was inches away from her and was stunned. ¡°Are you still asleep?¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the top of her head again, as if he was stroking a kitten. Only then did Lin Jiao realize that she was leaning into his arms. She quickly sat up straight and retracted her hand that was about to reach into his cor. Her ears were visibly red. ¡°Uncle, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± she apologized in a low voice, feeling embarrassed. Pei Zhi was very magnanimous. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He fought back the smile on his face and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s understandable. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°¡­Ok.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips. She tidied her hair and stole a few nces at him before getting out of the car. She was relieved to find that he really wasn¡¯t angry. Pei Zhi pretended not to notice her nces. He was still as calm as ever. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to tell me when you get home.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She turned around and walked into the neighborhood. She patted her forehead in frustration to prevent herself from recalling that scene. However, the more it was like this, the easier it was to remember. Even in her dreams, she could see him¡­ # On Monday, Sheng Heng Corp was bustling with activities. The sound of high heels and leather shoes echoed from the first floor to the roof, making people feel indescribably nervous. Zheng Yi, who was eating bread, bumped into Lin Jiao in the hall. He looked at her pale face and asked, ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Lin Jiao took out an air cushion and pressed it twice against her eyes to cover the dark circles. Zheng Yi thought she was worried about work. Heforted her. ¡°There¡¯s no need to feel too pressured. Many newbies have been through this.¡± Lin Jiao smiled awkwardly. She did not exin and chatted with him for a while. When she arrived at the nning department, she was called away by Manager Wu. ¡°Lin, are you getting used to it?¡± Wu Xiuwen gestured for her to sit opposite him. ¡°Quite so.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t take it to heart about what Sun Feiyu didst time. The most important thing in thepany is work. Making friends is secondary.¡± Lin Jiao understood what he meant. He probably just wanted her to do her job well and be on good terms with Sun Feiyu. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good that you understand.¡± Wu Xiuwen gave her a friendly smile. He took out a document from the drawer. ¡°Did Zheng Yi tell you about the assessment?¡± ¡°He did.¡± ¡°This is the product introduction fromst year. Make a proposal based on the content and try to get it to me by Thursday.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao stood up, holding the documents. She strode out of the manager¡¯s office and bumped into Sun Feiyu on her way to her desk. When their gazes met, Sun Feiyu¡¯s smile disappeared and her face turned cold. Her eyes were filled with undisguised hostility. Lin Jiao sneered, finding it funny. She was not in the mood to waste time with such a person. Looking away, she walked past her. ¡°Lin Jiao, what did you say to her?¡± Feng Yunjie raised her chin at Sun Feiyu in disgust. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°I thought she was going to give you trouble again.¡± ¡°She¡¯d better not. Otherwise.¡± Lin Jiao snorted as she put a straw into the milk carton with force. Feng Yunjie yed with the pen and nced at Lin Jiao¡¯s desk. ¡°Are you going to start making proposals?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Good luck, then.¡± Lin Jiao nodded without replying. She opened the folder and browsed through the product information while eating breakfast and highlighting important points. Although this would be troublesome and time-consuming, it was more beneficial for her to make a perfect proposal. Pei Zhi: ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± The message that popped up on WeChat made Lin Jiao stop what she was doing. She stretched her shoulders and picked up her phone to type: ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a Western restaurant near the CBD.¡± Pei Zhi sent her two pictures of the signature dishes to tempt her. ¡°Do you want to try it?¡± ¡°Yes! But I don¡¯t have time. Sigh.jpg¡± ¡°Do you have an appointment with someone else?¡± ¡°No, I have to finish a proposal.¡± Lin Jiao picked up a chocte bar and ate it. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go on Wednesday?¡± Chapter 47 - A Second Date

Chapter 47: A Second Date

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi asked Qu Shao to change the reservation time. In the past, he was very good at waiting, but the more they spent time together, the harder it was for him not to see her. Three days could feel like a lifetime. ¡°Boss, is there something urgent?¡± When Qu Shao was reporting his work, he realized that Pei Zhi had checked his phone at least a dozen times. ¡°No, nothing.¡± ¡°Then sign here.¡± After signing it, Pei Zhi threw the document to him and picked up his phone again. He sent a WeChat message to Lin Jiao at eleven o¡¯clock, pretending to be concerned about the progress. ¡°Is your proposal approved?¡± ¡°No results yet.¡± Lin Jiao nced at the manager¡¯s office from time to time. She had almost memorized all the product information over the past few days. In the end, she handed in the proposal from three different sources. She was well prepared and felt quite satisfied with her performance. She just did not know what kind of evaluation Manager Wu would give. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s slender fingers tapped on the screen. ¡°The results should be out before lunch break.¡± Just as Lin Jiao was about to reply, Wu Xiuwen¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Lin,e over for a moment.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°You did well this time.¡± As soon as she entered the manager¡¯s office, she received his praise. Lin Jiao heaved a sigh of relief. She listened carefully to him point out a few things to pay attention to. After saying what she thought, she discussed it with him. After chatting for a while, Wu Xiuwen assigned a task to her. ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Just hand it to me when you¡¯re done.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. She returned to her desk with the documents and told Pei Zhi the good news immediately. In the end, she took the initiative to bring up dinner. ¡°It¡¯s my treat tonight.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± A smile finally appeared on Pei Zhi¡¯s face. He put down his phone and went back to work. When it was time to get off work, he rushed out, eager to meet her. ¡°Uncle.¡± A sweet voice entered his ears. Lin Jiao ran over with light steps and smiled at him. ¡°Have you been waiting long?¡± Pei Zhi looked at her intently. ¡°Not at all.¡± His gaze was so intent that Lin Jiao touched her cheek, thinking that there was something on it. Just as she was about to take out the mirror to take a look, she heard him chuckle. ¡°Get in the car.¡± Lin Jiao bent down and got into the passenger seat. She put on her seatbelt and asked when she saw that he was staring at his phone and did not step on the elerator. ¡°Uncle, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Look¡­¡± Pei Zhi leaned over to her naturally and identally dropped the phone beside her. He reached out to fumble for the phone and identally touched her soft waist. ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Jiao did not mind. Pei Zhi said calmly, ¡°Qu Shao rmended a movie. Do you want to watch it?¡± ¡°What type?¡± ¡°Romanticedy.¡± Lin Jiao had not watched a movie in a long time and agreed almost without thinking. ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy the tickets.¡± Pei Zhi did not stand on ceremony with her because in any case, he would give her all the money in the future. He drove all the way to the mall and found the restaurant with the help of the elevator operator. The moment Lin Jiao pushed open the ss door, she was overwhelmed by the romantic vibe. There was a flower vase on each round table, and the flower vase was filled with white roses decorated with green leaves. Wherever she went, she could smell the fragrance of flowers. A waiter in a tuxedo led them into a private room that was soundproof. Lin Jiao took a photo of the flower vase. That clear click attracted Pei Zhi, who was ordering. He caught the joy on her face and smiled. He handed the menu to the waiter and waited for him to close the door before starting a conversation with her until the moment dishes were served. ¡°Uncle.¡± Lin Jiao swallowed the eel and suddenly remembered what she hadn¡¯t had time to say on that day their clique gathered. ¡°Do you have ns on Saturday?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Then do you want toe with us to see my grandpa?¡± Pei Zhi replied, ¡°Saturday morning?¡± Just like before, he cut the steak on the te and gently pushed the te to her. ¡°Yes, we¡¯lle back after dinner.¡± Her gazended on his shirt. ¡°You can wear a sports suit that day.¡± ¡°Is the road over there difficult to walk?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a yellow mud road outside his house. It¡¯ll be muddy if it rains.¡± Pei Zhi nodded in understanding. It took them two hours to finish the meal. He was already full. ¡°What time does the movie start?¡± ¡°Nine o¡¯clock. Twenty minutes to go.¡± Lin Jiao wiped the ice cream off her lips. She called the waiter over to pay the bill. After paying, she picked up her shoulder bag and left in the fragrance of flowers. The cinema upstairs was packed. After Pei Zhi apanied her to get the tickets, he leaned over and whispered into her ear, ¡°Do you want to eat popcorn?¡± Lin Jiao said, ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± She put her phone back in her bag and looked in the direction of the sales counter. ¡°Shall we buy two Cokes?¡± Pei Zhi led her over. As soon as they lined up, the girl standing in front whispered excitedly to herpanions. Lin Jiao seemed to have heard her say ¡®couple¡¯ and ¡®good match¡¯. Chapter 48 - Forced to Undergo A Checkup

Chapter 48: Forced to Undergo A Checkup

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Lin Jiao knew that they had misunderstood. She touched the tip of her nose awkwardly and nced at the man next to her. He continued to look at the counter, not bothering to even look at the girls, as if he did not hear what they said. ¡°Medium cup orrge?¡± he asked Lin Jiao. Lin Jiao pulled herself back from her thoughts. ¡°Medium cup.¡± She waited for him to pay before following him into the theater and finding a seat. Lin Jiao picked up the Coke and took two sips. She was so focused on the screen that she did not notice Pei Zhi looking at her. Pei Zhi was actually paying attention to the conversation between the unfamiliar girls just now. He was observing Lin Jiao¡¯s reaction, but unfortunately, she did not seem to care. Or rather, she still treated him as an ¡®elder¡¯. He sighed and told himself that they still needed time. Hearing his sigh, Lin Jiao leaned closer to him, her eyes filled with concern. ¡°Uncle, are you in a bad mood?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi calmed himself down and looked into her eyes. He smiled and said, ¡°I just ate too much.¡± ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel ufortable. I¡¯ll be fine in a while.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force yourself.¡± Afraid of disturbing others, she lowered her voice. ¡°We can watch the movie next time. Your health is the most important.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine.¡± He iIndeed did not look sick or anything. Lin Jiao was relieved. She retracted her gaze to focus on the screen. When the audience burst intoughter, sheughed out loud too. Perhaps because of being influenced by her joyful mood, the frustration in Pei Zhi¡¯s heart was dispelled. After the movie ended, she chatted with him about the funny story excitedly. When she got into the car, she was still smiling. When they arrived at Ming Xin Mansion, Pei Zhi was still a little reluctant to let her go. He leaned to the right and closed the distance between them. His right hand reached her seat belt and unfastened it. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± Lin Jiao happened to look up and bumped into his chin. She heard him hiss and rubbed his chin with her palm in a hurry. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Pei Zhi looked at her to see anxiety was written all over her face. In a daze, he felt like he was being cared for. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± When the fragrance that belonged to her entered his nose, he sat up straight. ¡°Don¡¯t dodge.¡± Lin Jiao pulled him back and rubbed his chin. ¡°Let me check.¡± Pei Zhi, who was forced to undergo an ¡®checkup¡¯, tensed up. He wanted to pull her long hair that had found its way into his cor, but when he raised his hand, she pressed it down. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He was about to go crazy. Lin Jiao had just confirmed that his chin was fine when she noticed his irregr breathing. She ced her hand on his chest and said nervously, ¡°Uncle, are you having a hard time breathing?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi grabbed her hand. He pretended to be calm and opened the car window. After letting the breeze in, he repeated the words, ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± Lin Jiao felt that he was acting strangely. She sat in the passenger seat with him for a long time. When his breathing stabilized, she said good night to him. When the departing figure disappeared from sight, Pei Zhi unbuttoned his cor and let out a long breath before driving off. Chapter 49 - Participating in the Banquet

Chapter 49: Participating in the Banquet

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

The charity banquet organized by Star River Entertainment was held at the Ryder Hotel, which overlooked the entire city. The well-dressed guests walked on the red carpet from the door to the elevator and arrived at the banquet hall on the top floor. This time, other than those in the industry, there were also some outstanding people in the business world. Most celebrities seemed to be here for charity, but they actually had their own motives. They either wanted to make friends with directors or they wanted to marry into a rich family. So¡­ The moment Pei Zhi arrived, he was targeted. ¡°Mr. Pei.¡± A beautiful woman walked up to him, holding her dress up. She looked at him affectionately and said in a coquettish voice, ¡°Can I have a drink with you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi turned her down expressionlessly. He picked up a ss of champagne from the table and turned to walk to Shen Yi before the woman could speak again. This cold attitude did not make the other girls give up. Instead, they treated him as prey and waited quietly for an opportunity. ¡°President Pei, you¡¯re really popr with women.¡± Shen Yi nced at the women staring at Pei Zhi and smiled meaningfully. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you want any of them.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m good. I can¡¯t handle that many.¡± Pei Zhi sat down beside him. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in a rtionship anyway. It¡¯s not a bad idea to give it a try.¡± ¡°Even if I wanna give it a try, I won¡¯t choose them.¡± Shen Yi was not discriminating against the entertainment circle. It was mainly because he didn¡¯t want to watch his first girlfriend kissing others on the screen. ¡°Try what?¡± Chu Yuzhou walked over with curious eyes. Shen Yi did not want to go over the conversation. He looked at the water stain on his arm and changed the topic. ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Chu Yuzhou pointed at the curly-haired woman on the right. ¡°I just came in and she bumped into me.¡± ¡°Then she asked you for your WeChat and said that she¡¯llpensate you?¡± ¡°No, she said she would wash it for me.¡± ¡°Brilliant tactic.¡± Shen Yi did not expect someone to use such a trick these days. ¡°Did you add her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡± Chu Yuzhou had been in a few rtionships, so how could he fall for such a trick? He wiped his arm with a wet tissue and looked around before asking Pei Zhi, ¡°Brother Pei, where¡¯s Lin Jiao?¡± ¡°Still on the way.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick her up?¡± ¡°She came with Pei Yn.¡± Pei Zhi raised his wrist to look at the watch. Chu Yuzhou nodded. From where he was sitting, he could see the door clearly, so when he saw the two figuresing in, he quickly reminded Pei Zhi. Under the bright light, a woman in a strapless dress slowly walked over. Her fair skin looked even fairer under the contrast of her high-quality ck dress. She looked around casually. When she found where Pei Zhi and the others were, her eyes lit up. ¡°President Pei, restrain yourself,¡± Shen Yi whispered under his breath before she could get close. Only then did Pei Zhi stop smiling. He patted the seat beside him and waited for her to sit down before throwing a nce at the men who were still staring fixedly at her. Perhaps his warning gaze was too fierce, but in just a few seconds, the men all turned around and stopped looking at Lin Jiao. ¡°Uncle, when did you get here?¡± Pei Yn, who had also dressed up, looked obedient in front of him. ¡°Not long.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Yan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Pei Zhi picked up two sses of juice and handed them to them. ¡°Why are you looking for him?¡± Chapter 50 - Finally Found Him

Chapter 50: Finally Found Him

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Pei Yn shook her head. ¡°Nothing.¡± She rubbed the cup excitedly, thinking about the surprise Zhou Yanshen said he had in store for her. Seeing that she was getting restless, Lin Jiao said in a low voice, ¡°Yn, call him and ask.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Yn immediately stood up. She strode out hurriedly with her eyes fixed on the phone screen, not noticing the man who walked past her. Jiang Ye followed behind his agent and watched numbly as his agent chatted with the directors and investors. He did not like such an asion, but there was nothing he could do except to fake a smile and let them size him up. ¡°Director Lin, this is my business card.¡± The agent, Yang Qifeng, handed it over with both hands. ¡°Remember to look for me if you have any vacancies.¡± Director Lin nodded perfunctorily. He put the business card between his palm and the bottom of the cup, letting the water drip down and wet it. Jiang Ye caught this action. He clenched his fists and waited for them to leave before gulping down an entire ss of wine in frustration. ¡°Jiang Ye, let¡¯s go and look around.¡± Yang Qifeng did not get hung up on getting treated with cold attitudes and continued to look for more opportunities. ¡°Brother Qifeng, I want to take a breather.¡± ¡°Are you still thinking about getting some fresh air at a time like this?¡± Jiang Ye was silent. He knew his situation. If no director or investor liked him, he would most likely¡­ ¡°Alright.¡± Yang Qifeng couldn¡¯t stand looking at his gloomy expression. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten minutes.¡± Jiang Ye let out a breath. ¡°Thank you.¡± He put down his ss and walked to the garden. He leaned against the railing and lit a cigarette. Nichs could suppress the frustration in his heart, but it couldn¡¯t help him solve the problems. Even though he could escape reality for the time being with the help of a cigar, he had to eventually go back to reality to face what was ahead of him. ¡°Hello.¡± A gentle female voice entered his ears. Pei Yn, who followed him over, took a long time to mentally prepare herself before daring to go forward to greet him. Jiang Ye turned around and nced at her indifferently. Perhaps because he found her somewhat familiar, he stubbed out his cigarette and concealed his worried expression. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°We met at Sycamore Street before. You said someone was chasing you, and then¡­¡± Pei Yn grabbed the corner of her dress tightly, her eyes filled with joy and nervousness. ¡°Do you still remember?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± At first, Jiang Ye was uncertain. Now that she mentioned it, that scene appeared in front of him again. He asked with a smile, ¡°Are you also in the entertainment industry?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn looked into his brown eyes, her heart racing. ¡°I came with a friend.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes, my name is Pei Yn.¡± Seeing her extend a hand, Jiang Ye shook it and did not forget to introduce himself. He looked at the banquet hall. ¡°I¡¯ll go in first.¡± ¡°Can we add each other on WeChat?¡± Pei Yn mustered her courage and stood in front of him, praying in her heart that he would not reject her. Jiang Ye hesitated before saying, ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Yn, who had sessfully added him, followed him back into the hall too. From time to time, she would sneak a nce at Jiang Ye. Yang Qifeng, who happened to be looking for Jiang Ye, saw this scene. He watched as Pei Yn walked up to Pei Zhi and sat down next to him. He was shocked and quickly went to ask around to find out who Pei Yn was. When he found out about her rtionship with Pei Zhi, he pulled Jiang Ye to a corner and asked anxiously, ¡°Do you know President Pei¡¯s niece?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The one on the sofa on the right.¡± Jiang Ye looked in the direction he was pointing. Chapter 51 - Do You Want Me to Use Her?

Chapter 51: Do You Want Me to Use Her?

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

He took the wine from the waiter. ¡°Last time I was chased by one of my fans, and it was her who helped me out.¡± ¡°Do you know who she is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yang Qifeng lowered his voice and whispered into his ear. Not only did he mention Pei Zhi¡¯s identity, but he also mentioned his friendship with Zhou Yanshen. He couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. ¡°As long as you suck up to her, everything will be solved. We won¡¯t have to worry anymore!¡± Jiang Ye frowned. ¡°You want me to use her?¡± ¡°How can you call that use? If she can help you while you are in trouble now, in the future, you can return the favor.¡± ¡°She has the Pei family backing her. She can have anything she wants. Why would she need a D-list celebrity like me to do her a favor?¡± ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± Yang Qifeng patted his shoulder heavily. ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself. No one knows what will happen in the future.¡± Jiang Ye lowered his head, looking conflicted. He did not want to get close to others with ulterior motives. ¡°Brother Qifeng, I still have two months.¡± ¡°Do you think two months is a long time?¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t reached the point where I must rely on a woman yet, have we?¡± Yang Qifeng rubbed his eyebrows. He knew very well how stubborn Jiang Ye was, so he did not intend to force him to make a decision at this moment. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk to a few more directors.¡± Jiang Ye nodded and followed him. At the same time, two people looked at him from afar and whispered. ¡°Jiaojiao, isn¡¯t he very handsome?¡± Pei Yn held Lin Jiao¡¯s arm, so excited that she wanted to jump up and scream. ¡°Yes, very handsome.¡± ¡°He looks so good in a suit! I really want to undo the buttons on his shirt and see¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Lin Jiao interrupted her in time. She gestured for her to calm down and asked about Jiang Ye, ¡°Is he working for Brother Yan?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn took two sips of champagne and suppressed her emotions. She continued, ¡°Brother Yan said that he¡¯s in a smallpany called North something. He¡¯s a D-list celebrity now and isn¡¯t very famous.¡± Now that Lin Jiao thought about it, she couldn¡¯t help but find it funny that she thought Jiang Ye was a murderer. She asked again, ¡°Are you really nning to develop a rtionship with him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then talk to him on WeChat. After you get to know him better, you can ask him out.¡± Pei Yn nodded repeatedly. She stared at Jiang Ye, who was chatting with a few bald men, without blinking, not until the light suddenly turned dim. Zhou Yanshen, who was in the spotlight, walked onto the stage under the gaze of many people. ¡°Thank you, kind-hearted people, for joining the charity tonight. All the revenue from the charity auction tonight will be donated to the mountains of Lin City to build a school for children¡­¡± A round of apuse filled the hall. After Zhou Yanshen finished speaking, the emcee picked up the microphone and introduced the items to the guests. The price of the charity items was rtively low, starting at 5,000 to 6,000 yuan. No matter if they were interested in charity or not, they could all afford it. Lin Jiao bought a painting for 30,000 yuan. She handed the phone to Pei Yn and asked her to pay. Then, she left her seat and went to the washroom. But unexpectedly¡­ She bumped into an annoying person. ¡°Miss.¡± Yuan Chen, who was blocking the door, revealed a smile that he thought was handsome. His gaze wandered over her body and finally stopped on her eyes. ¡°Can you give me your contact number?¡± Lin Jiao wiped the water off her hands. ¡°No.¡± Chapter 52 - Pei Zhi Was Ruthless

Chapter 52: Pei Zhi Was Ruthless

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Her cold attitude did not make Yuan Chen give up. Instead, he said with interest, ¡°Don¡¯t be so quick to reject me. I¡¯m not a bad guy.¡± ¡°I have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°So what? Even married people can divorce. You can change a boyfriend at any time.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. She had never seen such a shameless person. She walked around him, but before she could take two steps, he stepped on her dress, making her unable to move. ¡°What do you want?¡± She clenched her fists and looked at that face in disgust, as if she wanted to hit him. Yuan Chen did not sense any danger. He took out a bank card and attempted to tempt her with money. ¡°Give me your contact number and this is yours.¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°Sure, let¡¯s get lost from here together and go somewhere else.¡± Seeing that his gaze was getting more and more obscene, Lin Jiao pulled her dress out from under his feet and kicked him in the stomach. Yuan Chen let out a muffled groan as pain spread throughout his body. He red at her fiercely and quickly grabbed her hand. ¡°Miss, this is not fun.¡± Lin Jiao stepped on his right foot. The moment he bent his back in pain, she broke free from his grip and clenched her fist to punch his face. Her ruthless action angered Yuan Chen. He tilted his head to avoid the punch, stepped on her dress again, and grabbed her hair. ¡°You forced me to do this.¡± He gritted his teeth, wanting to smash the back of her head against the wall. Lin Jiao endured the pain in her head and bent her knee to aim at his lower body. Just as she was about to give it a kick¡ª Pei Zhi, who was exuding a terrifying aura, rushed over. He grabbed Yuan Chen¡¯s forearm and pinned him to the ground to beat him up. He punched fiercely, and every punch carried obvious killing intent. ¡°Stop, stop hitting me¡­¡± Yuan Chen couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He curled up and covered his head, trembling uncontrobly. However, the more he did that, the harder Pei Zhi punched him. The scene of him bullying Lin Jiao kept reying in Pei Zhi¡¯s mind. At the thought that Lin Jiao¡¯s life could be in danger, Pei Zhi lost all his rationality and wanted to beat him to death. ¡°Uncle.¡± Lin Jiao came back to her senses and nced at Yuan Chen, who had been beaten ck and blue. She went forward and tugged at the corner of his shirt. She was too close. Pei Zhi was afraid that he would identally hurt her, so he retracted his hand. He turned to look at Lin Jiao and ced his palm on the back of her head, saying in a gentle tone, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Lin Jiao felt a warmth in her heart. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± She looked up into the pair of anxious eyes and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t lose out anyway.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Pei Zhi suppressed the anger in his heart. He called Zhou Yanshen and waited for his people toe over to deal with Yuan Chen before bringing Lin Jiao back to the banquet hall. Yuan Chen, who was dragged to the safe passage by a few burly men in ck, knelt in front of them in fear and begged them to let him go. ¡°It¡¯s useless to beg us.¡± The shorter man squatted down in front of him and yed with the baseball bat. ¡°Actually, it doesn¡¯t hurt. Just bear with it.¡± ¡°I have money. How much do you want¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re not short of money.¡± A few violent bangs sounded. Yuan Chen, whose limbs and arms were broken, could not even cry for help. He could only let them drag him out. Hey on thewn by Ryder Hotel¡¯s back door, looking at the bright moon like a deranged fool and whimpering non-stop. Chapter 53 - Is Chu Yuzhou Worthy of Her?

Chapter 53: Is Chu Yuzhou Worthy of Her?

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

After knowing what happened, Zhou Yanshen excused himself from the conversation he was engaged in and rushed to Lin Jiao¡¯s side. He held a te of macarons and coaxed her with food like when they were young. He smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve helped you teach him a lesson.¡± ¡°What did you do to him?¡± ¡°Just beat him up.¡± Lin Jiao did not believe him. ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± Seeing her suspicious gaze, Zhou Yanshen did not panic at all. He even said confidently, ¡°When have I ever lied to you?¡± Lin Jiao asked again, ¡°Then where is he?¡± ¡°He is sent to the hospital. It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± Zhou Yanshen intentionally understated the matter. He raised his ss and clinked sses with her. In a bid to change the topic, he asked, ¡°Jiaojiao, did Pei Yn meet that person she¡¯s been looking for?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao whispered into his ear to avoid being heard by the others. Chu Yuzhou stared at them for a long time and couldn¡¯t help but lean over. ¡°What are you two talking about? Let me hear it.¡± ¡°Brother Yan wants to introduce a girlfriend to you.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Really.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked up and pointed at the female actress diagonally opposite him. ¡°Do you have any thoughts?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Yuzhou¡¯s type had not changed. ¡°I like the sexy type.¡± Zhou Yanshen gave the hall a sweeping nce. After searching for a long time, he finally found a celebrity beside Du Wei who was known for being sexy. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Chu Yuzhou could not find any ws about her. He observed her every move, and the me of love in his heart was ignited again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get her toe over.¡± Zhou Yanshen could tell that he had a good impression of her, so he helped him matchmake. Du Wei, who had received his WeChat message, held Xia Nanrui¡¯s hand and walked over with light steps. After introducing her to the clique, she drank two sses with them and said with a meaningful gaze, ¡°Yuzhou, have a good chat with her.¡± Chu Yuzhou smiled and said nothing. Seeing that he was sitting with Xia Nanrui, Lin Jiao left her seat and went back to sit with Pei Zhi. ¡°Jiaojiao, who is she?¡± Pei Yn had long noticed themotion over there, but he only had the chance to ask now. ¡°A girl Brother Yan introduced to Chu Yuzhou.¡± ¡°To Chu Yuzhou? Is he worthy of her?¡± Seeing her roll her eyes in disdain, Lin Jiao chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s too bad a man.¡± Pei Yn said, ¡°In my opinion, he¡¯s very bad.¡± How bad was he in Pei Yn¡¯s opinion? She probably wouldn¡¯t choose him even if all the men in the world died. ¡°Then are you going to help him if he¡¯s in trouble?¡± ¡°That depends.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow and stopped making assumptions. She looked at Xia Nanrui again with envy in her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone as thin and voluptuous as her.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Yn sighed, too embarrassed topare herself to Xia Nanrui. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to buy papaya tomorrow.¡± Shen Yi, who happened to hear this, exined to her in a serious tone, ¡°Papaya is useless. It won¡¯t help you grow bigger.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s useful?¡± ¡°Stewed pork trotters and¡­¡± ¡°And what else?¡± Pei Yn leaned to the right, her eyes filled with curiosity. Shen Yi coughed lightly. He lowered his voice and said in all seriousness, ¡°And you need to find a man to stimte you.¡± Pei Zhi was speechless. He nced at Shen Yi and pretended to be deaf. Chapter 54 - Acting As Pei Zhi’s Girlfriend

Chapter 54: Acting As Pei Zhi¡¯s Girlfriend

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Pei Yn did not feel embarrassed. After all, Shen Yi was a doctor, and his words were trustworthy. ¡°Do you mean what I think you mean?¡± Pei Yn asked. ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Shen Yi said to her from a professional point of view, ¡°But these are just supplementary. It¡¯s definitely not as effective as surgery.¡± Pei Yn shook her head. ¡°Forget about the surgery.¡± Hers wasn¡¯t so small as to need surgery. ¡°Then¡­ eat more pork trotters.¡± ¡°Yes, I will.¡± Pei Yn remembered it by heart. She whispered into Lin Jiao¡¯s ear, ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want some? If you do, I¡¯ll get my chief to cook a week¡¯s amount of pork trotters.¡± Lin Jiao was not sure. ¡°Do I need it?¡± She was quite satisfied with herself. At least among women, she wasn¡¯t too bad. ¡°Although you¡¯re much better than me, there is still room for improvement. It won¡¯t hurt to try some.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯s settled.¡± Pei Yn took out her phone and sent a WeChat message to her chief. ¡°Next week, we can meet up and feel for each other.¡± ¡°It might not work that quickly.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s try it first. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll eat it for a month. I don¡¯t believe I won¡¯t work.¡± Seeing that she was excited, Lin Jiao did not say anything to discourage her and just let her be. She forked a piece of watermelon from the fruit te and chewed it while paying attention to the stage. At this moment, there were not many items left. Those who had bid before took the opportunity to gather and chat. The women who were staring at Pei Zhi previously also came over, wanting to seize the little time they had to show off their charm. ¡°President Pei.¡± Another curly-haired woman stood in front of him with a smile and bowed to toast him. Pei Zhi was extremely annoyed. He turned his head away, not even wanting to say a word. ¡°Miss, he has a girlfriend.¡± When Shen Yi saw that Pei Zhi was frowning, he interrupted, ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a drink?¡± The curly-haired woman was stunned. ¡°Sure.¡± To her, being able to get close to Pei Zhi¡¯s friend was not a bad choice either. After exchanging WeChat numbers, Shen Yi nced at Lin Jiao and said with a smile, ¡°Lin Jiao, why don¡¯t you help him?¡± ¡°How can I help?¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know you anyway. Pretend to be Pei Zhi¡¯s girlfriend. I really don¡¯t want to drink anymore.¡± Lin Jiao nced at Pei Zhi and decided to help him out. She asked, ¡°Do I have to just tell them I¡¯m his girlfriend?¡± ¡°And you need to really imagine yourself as his girlfriend. Otherwise, these women wouldn¡¯t believe it.¡± Pei Yn gave her an idea. After all, this was not the first time they had done this. ¡°To what extent?¡± ¡°To the extent of making them feel like the third wheel around you two.¡± Lin Jiao nodded and moved closer to Pei Zhi. When the next female actress trotted over and spoke to Pei Zhi, Lin Jiao¡¯s expression instantly changed. She had no intention of making things difficult for the woman. Instead, she turned to re at Pei Zhi. ¡°Tell me, how many women have you talked to tonight?¡± Pei Zhi did not expect her to get into the role so quickly. Instead of answering how many women, he said remorsefully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± ¡°Everything I did is wrong.¡± Lin Jiao crossed her arms. She ignored the actress and kicked the table. ¡°Unless you kneel on the durian tonight, I¡¯ll never forgive you!¡± Pei Zhi finally realized how good she was at acting. He did not hide the love in his eyes, nor did he show any signs of anger. ¡°I¡¯ll kneel without portest.¡± Chapter 55 - His Acting Is Better

Chapter 55: His Acting Is Better

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Lin Jiao looked into his eyes and suddenly felt that his acting skills were better. She snorted. ¡°You¡¯re not being serious enough!¡± Pei Zhi fought back the urge to burst outughing. He rubbed the top of her head and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I promise I won¡¯t talk to them.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t even look at them.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better.¡± Lin Jiao raised her chin at the table and called out, ¡°I want to eat oranges. Peel one for me.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi wanted to stand up. He nced at the actress indifferently and said in a different tone, ¡°Please make way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± After saying that, she left awkwardly, not in the mood to chat. Perhaps because she had told some of the other actresses about this, there were clearly fewer women who came to talk to Pei Zhi. Lin Jiao was more and more into her role. She was just short of asking Pei Zhi to hold the loudspeaker and apologize. After scaring away thest actress, she leaned against the sofa and asked them, ¡°My acting is terrific, right?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Shen Yi held back hisughter. This was the first time he had seen Pei Zhi so cowardly. He regretted not recording it. ¡°President Pei is also quite cooperative.¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s one thing that you didn¡¯t do well enough.¡± Director Pei Ynmented in a serious tone, ¡°For example, when he rubbed your head, you should do something in response.¡± Lin Jiao thought about it and agreed. ¡°Then did they believe it?¡± She had been focusing on her acting with Pei Zhi and did not pay attention to the reactions of the actresses. ¡°It seems like they did.¡± Pei Yn stuffed a piece of fruit into her mouth. ¡°If there¡¯s ample light, you have to pay attention to your eye expression. Otherwise, you¡¯ll expose yourself.¡± Lin Jiao knew at a nce that Pei Yn was in the mood to direct. She smiled and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you demonstrate?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn quickly swallowed the fruit. She looked at Jiang Ye not far away, her eyes filled with joy and love. ¡°Look closely. This is what eye expression means.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. Shen Yi asked, ¡°Who are you looking at?¡± With his intuition, he felt that Pei Yn was in love. ¡°I¡¯m not looking at anyone in particr. I¡¯m just performing.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Pei Yn said calmly, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I used to study psychology.¡± Shen Yi paused for a few seconds before exposing her. ¡°When people lie, they look to the right.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°My eyes are just a little fatigued.¡± She rubbed her eyes down and leaned over to show him her red eyes. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Shen Yi smiled meaningfully. Instead of answering her, he pointed at Jiang Ye, who was wearing a ck suit, and said, ¡°You have good taste.¡± Pei Yn was dumb struck. She pursed her lips and was about to quibble when she was interrupted by Pei Zhi. ¡°When did this happen?¡± Pei Zhi looked at her inquisitively. The pressure he exuded was not something she could withstand. Pei Yn confessed, ¡°It¡¯s happening yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about to happen?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯ve only known each other for a few days.¡± Pei Zhi did not stop her and only reminded her, ¡°You can fall in love, but you can¡¯t spend money on him.¡± ¡°I swear I will not spend a dime on him!¡± Lin Jiao, who received a nudge from Pei Yn, looked at Pei Zhi with her big eyes. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll watch over her.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s expression softened. He handed them the peeled oranges. When he saw Chu Yuzhouing over, he teased, ¡°Are you done chatting?¡± Chapter 56 - I Don’t Care About People Who

Chapter 56: I Don¡¯t Care About People Who Don¡¯t Have Good Taste

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chu Yuzhou was in high spirits. He squeezed between Pei Zhi and Shen Yi and said with a smile, ¡°We get along very well.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I n to give this rtionship a try.¡± ¡°Are you in such a hurry to make a decision?¡± Shen Yi frowned, unable to understand his thoughts. ¡°At least spend some time getting to know her better.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get to know her while chasing her.¡± Shen Yi was speechless. On the other hand, Pei Yn couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Are you so confident that you can definitely make her your girlfriend?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°She must be surrounded by a lot of high-quality men. What do you have topare yourself with? Don¡¯t be smug too quickly. You may end up being just a n b.¡± ¡°How am I notparable to those men?¡± Chu Yuzhou sneered. He had never doubted his charm. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with people like you who have no taste.¡± ¡°My taste is much better than yours.¡± Pei Yn looked away in disdain and looked in Jiang Ye¡¯s direction. Her infatuated look made Chu Yuzhou shiver. He asked Shen Yi, ¡°Who is she targeting this time?¡± ¡°Over there.¡± Shen Yi pointed. Chu Yuzhou looked over. When he saw Jiang Ye¡¯s face, he shook his head. ¡°This kid is in deep trouble.¡± He would probably have a hard time with this tigress. ¡°Who is in deep trouble?¡± Pei Yn¡¯s eyes were filled with killing intent as she shot Chu Yuzhou a re. Chu Yuzhou retorted, ¡°None of your business.¡± ¡°Coward.¡± ¡°Say that again?¡± Lin Jiao watched them bicker silently. She waited for Zhou Yanshen toe over and asked about their journey to see their grandfather, ¡°Brother Yanshen, what time do we set off tomorrow?¡± ¡°Nine o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Can you get up?¡± ¡°I have to.¡± Afraid that he would be scolded by the old man, Zhou Yanshen did not n to drink too much tonight. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up then.¡± ¡°Alright, Uncle is going too.¡± ¡°Him?¡± ¡°Am I not wee?¡± Pei Zhi looked up. Although he was smiling, his eyes were filled with determination. ¡°Sure,e with us.¡± Zhou Yanshen was more than happy to have a malepanion. He patted his shoulder and reminded him meaningfully, ¡°Remember to wear sportswear tomorrow. Don¡¯t wear a watch.¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why?¡± When Lin Jiao reminded him before, he did not think there was a problem, but when he looked at Zhou Yanshen, he was puzzled. ¡°Just do as I say.¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at the time and drank two sses with them. Before leaving, he said to Pei Zhi, ¡°Rest early tonight, and rest well.¡± Pei Zhi was even more confused. He nced at Lin Jiao, who was getting up with her bag, and followed her. At this moment, most of the guests had left, and there were only a few cars parked at the entrance of the Ryder Hotel. The trees rustled in the evening breeze. Lin Jiao, who had a few strands of long hair blown by the wind, raised her hand to tuck it behind her ear and said goodbye to them with a smile. She bent down and got into Pei Zhi¡¯s car. She lifted the corner of her dress and rubbed her sore calves, revealing her fair skin. ¡°Are you feeling ufortable?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s gazended on her leg for a few seconds before casually looking away. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Take a bath when you get home. That way, you¡¯ll feel better.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao put down her dress. She looked out the window at the night scene. When they reached Ming Xin Mansion, she turned around and smiled at him. ¡°Uncle, see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Text me when¡­¡± ¡°I know. I won¡¯t forget it.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°Alright.¡± Chapter 57 - When She Becomes More Reliant on Me

Chapter 57: When She Bes More Reliant on Me

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

¡°Jiaojiao, we¡¯re downstairs.¡± After sending Lin Jiao a WeChat message, Zhou Yanshen handed a cigarette to Pei Zhi. Seeing him looking out the window from time to time, Zhou Yanshen said with a sigh, ¡°She still sees you as her elder. Aren¡¯t you going to do something?¡± ¡°What can I do?¡± ¡°Start from more intimate interactions.¡± Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. The smoke from his mouth covered his expression. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll scare her away.¡± It was already hard enough for him to get this closer to her. If their rtionship returned to the starting line because he crossed the line, he probably wouldn¡¯t be able to bear it. ¡°Then what do you n to do?¡± Zhou Yanshen could not understand him. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it when she bes more reliant on me.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll take quite some time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for so long anyway. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± Zhou Yanshen suddenly did not know what to say. The feeling of loving someone with all his heart and nurturing the love meticulously was something he had never experienced. He took two puffs of his cigarette. When he saw Lin Jiao walking over, he hid the sadness in his eyes. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± Lin Jiao sat alone in the back row with a bag of food. ¡°Not yet.¡± Pei Zhi originally wanted to bring her to buy steamed dumplings. However, after seeing her take out some bread and milk, he swallowed his words. He finished the food she handed him and adjusted the seat. ¡°How long does it take to get there from here?¡± ¡°Forty minutes.¡± Zhou Yanshen ced a hand on the steering wheel and looked at the two of them. ¡°You can sleep for a while.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi closed his eyes to rest. He rxed and gradually fell asleep while listening to the soft music. But not long after, he woke up again. ¡°Brother Yan, are we there yet?¡± Lin Jiao rubbed her eyes and propped herself up on the pillow to look out the window. ¡°In no time.¡± Zhou Yanshen drove along a narrow road. When the car reached the end, he stepped on the brakes beside a mire and took out the gifts from the trunk. He faced the fresh breeze and pointed at the small courtyard not far away. ¡°We¡¯ll be there in ten minutes.¡± Pei Zhi nodded. He stepped on the muddy road, and his clean sneakers were quickly covered in muds. ¡°Is it convenient for him to live here alone?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Lin Jiao tugged at the corner of his shirt to avoid slipping. She smiled. ¡°Grandpa has a piece ofnd. He can grow whatever he wants.¡± Pei Zhi understood. ¡°Is there a hospital nearby?¡± ¡°The hospital is quite far.¡± Zhou Yanshen knew what he wanted to say. ¡°Old man is still in good health. When he gets older, we¡¯ll bring him back to the city.¡± ¡°Where did he used to live?¡± ¡°The old neighborhood behind the CBD.¡± Pei Zhi was a little surprised. He looked at the courtyard surrounded by fences and became even more curious about the old man. ¡°Old man!¡± Zhou Yanshen shouted. Out of habit, he pulled off the morning glory on the fence and threw it at the figure in the courtyard. When Lin Kanglu, who was sitting in the courtyard, making bamboo baskets, heard themotion, he was startled for a second. He nced at the morning glory by his feet and waited for the footsteps to approach. He stood up nimbly and brandished a bamboo stick at him threateningly, ¡°Little brat, will it hurt if you don¡¯t rip off the flowers?¡± Chapter 58 - Help With Catching the Chicken

Chapter 58: Help With Catching the Chicken

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± Zhou Yanshen ran around the courtyard with a few bags of gifts. ¡°I¡¯ll try to break this old habit of mine.¡± ¡°Stop right there!¡± ¡°I will only if you put down the bamboo stick first.¡± Lin Kanglu was about to put it down. However, when Zhou Yanshen stepped on the soil used to grow lilies, he chased after him with the bamboo stick again. When Zhou Yanshen met those intimidating eyes, he gave in. ¡°We have a guest today. Give me some face.¡± ¡°Grandpa.¡± Sensing Zhou Yanshen¡¯s pleading gaze, Lin Jiao went forward and grabbed his arm. She introduced, ¡°This is Pei Zhi.¡± The moment Pei Zhi saw that face flushed with anger, he felt an indescribable sense of familiarity. He greeted politely and handed the gift box to Lin Kanglu. ¡°This is a gift from me.¡± Lin Kanglu stared at him for a long time before asking, ¡°Are you from the Pei family in the east of the city?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Your father is Pei Zhen?¡± Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Do you know him?¡± ¡°More than that.¡± Lin Kanglu ced his hand on his shoulder and smiled. ¡°Thest time I saw you, you were still in elementary school. I didn¡¯t expect you to grow so big in the blink of an eye.¡± Pei Zhi was shocked. ¡°No wonder you look familiar to me.¡± it turned out they had met before, but he had forgotten about it. Lin Kanglu brought them to sit at the stone table and took two sips of the tea Lin Jiao poured. He asked, ¡°How¡¯s your father?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Pei Zhi was much less nervous. He picked up his teacup. ¡°How do you know him?¡± ¡°We used to be in the same brigade.¡± ¡°During the war?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Kanglu recalled the times when they once fought together and there was a trace of nostalgia in his eyes. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t Pei Zhi call you uncle?¡± Zhou Yanshen asked. ¡°Of course uncle is the most appropriate.¡± Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°Yansheng, you should call me uncle too.¡± Zhou Yanshen was speechless. How could he have forgotten about that? Zhou Yanshen couldn¡¯t bring himself tough anymore. ¡°I think we don¡¯t have to be so strict about addresses.¡± Lin Kanglu saw through him at a nce. He only said, ¡°Here under my roof, we do.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Zhou Yanshen was as listless as a withered flower. After chatting with Lin Kanglu for a while, it was time for the younglings to be ordered around. ¡°Go and kill the fish in the kitchen first.¡± ¡°Just killing fish?¡± ¡°And a chicken too.¡± ¡°Then let Pei Zhi deal with the chicken.¡± Zhou Yanshen hated chasing chicken around. In order to leave a good impression, Pei Zhi naturally did not refuse. He followed Zhou Yanshen to the chicken coop in the backyard and looked at the hens that were pecking at the rice. For a moment, he was lost as to what to do. ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Whichever one you catch.¡± Zhou Yanshen kindly opened the coop for him. He took out his phone and started recording. ¡°You have to be fast, urate, and ruthless when catching chickens. Don¡¯t hesitate when you do it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi walked in. He stared at a ck chicken with its back facing him. After walking closer quietly, he suddenly reached out his hands. Chapter 59 - Pei Zhi Can’t Get A Hang of It

Chapter 59: Pei Zhi Can¡¯t Get A Hang of It

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

The moment he approached, the ck chicken pped its wings and clucked. The dust raised by its ppings sshed all over Pei Zhi, and even his arm was decorated with two chicken feathers. He frowned and attempted to catch it again, as if he was determined to get this ck chicken. The other chickens were startled and flew around. It was a lively scene. Zhou Yanshen, who was leaning against the coop fence, chuckled and gave him an idea. ¡°Bro, do you want to trick it with food?¡± Pei Zhi stopped in his tracks. He grabbed Zhou Yanshen¡¯s cor and pushed open the coop to pull him in. He then went to get some grains. ¡°I¡¯ll feed it grains while you try to catch it.¡± Zhou Yanshen let out a sigh. He turned off the video recorder and decided to help Pei Zhi out. He waited for the ck chicken to stop pping before sneaking up to it quietly. ¡°Cluck¡ª¡± Another series of clucking sounded. The ck chicken, who had escaped from the demonic ws again, kicked the person behind it. ¡°Damn!¡± Zhou Yanshen was furious after being kicked Initially, he wanted Pei Zhi to find another chicken, but now, he was bent on teaching this ck chicken a lesson. He pointed to the corner. ¡°Corner it there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi gestured for him to stay still. He threw the grain to the corner one by one. The moment the ck chicken lowered its head, he pounced on it with Zhou Yanshen. Before the ck chicken could kick again, it was knocked unconscious. Zhou Yanshen finally heaved a sigh of relief. He put down the stone that was stained with chicken poop and walked to the sink to wash his smelly hands. ¡°Have you ever killed a chicken before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°It¡¯s actually very simple. Just stab it.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s lips twitched. He picked up the unconscious chicken and walked into the kitchen with him. He wanted to boil the water before taking care of the chicken. ¡°Uncle, do you need help?¡± Lin Jiao thought that Pei Zhi had never done such a thing, so she came over to offer help. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Pei Zhi did not want to let go of any opportunity to get closer to or interact with her. He picked up the kitchen knife. ¡°How?¡± Lin Jiao sprinkled some salt on the basin and pointed at the ck chicken¡¯s neck. ¡°Cut it open first.¡± Pei Zhi found a wooden stool and sat down. He expressionlessly shed at the ck chicken¡¯s neck and used the basin to keep the blood. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Then soak it in boiling water.¡± She poured boiled water from the pot into another wooden basin. ¡°Soak it for two minutes and you can start plucking the feather.¡± Pei Zhi tried to pluck a feather. Lin Jiao could not stand his clumsiness anymore. She sat down beside him, grabbed his hand, and showed him how it was done. When she leaned over, her head was almost touching his. ¡°It¡¯ll be much faster to pluck it out like this.¡± Strangely, no matter what, Pei Zhi still seemed unable to get a hang of it. When the warm touch left his hand, he asked Lin Jiao to give him another demonstration. Zhou Yanshen, who was scraping fish scales at the side, nced at the two of them. He could not help but admire Pei Zhi¡¯s acting. Just as he was about to look away, a familiar figure entered his vision. He caught Lin Kanglu¡¯s questioning gaze and smiled foolishly. Then he covered his mouth and coughed lightly as if reminding someone. ¡°Old man, why are you here?¡± ¡°I can¡¯te?¡± ¡°Of course you can.¡± Lin Kanglu looked at Pei Zhi and walked to the chopping board. He said in disdain, ¡°Is this the fish you scraped?¡± Chapter 60 - I Won’t Let Her Down

Chapter 60: I Won¡¯t Let Her Down

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

¡°I haven¡¯t done this in a long time.¡± Zhou Yanshen handed the kitchen knife to Lin Kanglu and wanted to ck off for a while ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get smart with me.¡± Lin Kanglu was not fooled at all. He knocked the chopping board and warned, ¡°Scrape it clean. If I find one fish scaleter on, you are done for.¡± Zhou Yanshen did not dare to have any objections. He used the tip of the knife to scale the fish and was much more careful in doing his job than before. ¡°Then when I¡¯m done scaling it, can you cook it?¡± ¡°That works.¡± Lin Kanglu ced his hands behind his back and walked out of the kitchen leisurely. Zhou Yanshen nodded and focused on cleaning the fish. He threw the fish scale into the trash can at the side and looked at it several times before putting down the kitchen knife. ¡°Are you done plucking?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go get the old man.¡± He wiped his hands dry on his apron and strode out. Pei Zhi stretched his arms. He originally wanted to help Zhou Yanshen, but Lin Kanglu didn¡¯t allow it. He could only follow Lin Jiao to the courtyard to drink tea. ¡°Uncle, are you tired?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Seeing that he indeed was not tired, Lin Jiao was slightly relieved. She pointed at the chicken blood on the corner of his shirt. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t wear this shirt anymore.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Zhi smiled. He looked in the direction of the smoke billowing from the kitchen chimneys and suddenly said, ¡°Yanshen is quite happy here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao rested her chin on her hand. ¡°His grandmother passed away early, and his parents were too busy with work to care about him, so he has a deep love for his grandfather. In front of him, he¡¯s like a child.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Pei Zhi looked away and picked up the teapot to refill her tea. ¡°Did he live with you when he was young?¡± ¡°No, he onlyes over during the winter and summer holidays.¡± Lin Jiao blew on the teacup twice. Before she could drink it, she was called to the kitchen by Zhou Yanshen who was holding two dishes in both hands. She and Pei Zhi helped set up the table and scoop rice for everyone. Their ovepping shadows on the ground gave off an indescribable warmth. Seeing them walk side by side towards the dining table, Lin Kanglu took off his apron and pondered for a long time. After lunch, he said to Lin Jiao and Zhou Yanshen, ¡°Go to the fields and pick some cucumbers and cabbages.¡± ¡°How many do you want?¡± ¡°A basketful will do.¡± Zhou Yanshen picked up the basket in the corner. He knew why the old man asked the two of them out to pick veggies, so before crossing the threshold, he gave Pei Zhi a look that said, ¡°Stay safe.¡± Pei Zhi did not look panicked at all. He put the dishes to the side and looked into the old man¡¯s eyes, waiting for him to speak. Lin Kanglu was not someone who liked to beat around the bush, so he asked directly, ¡°Do you like Jiaojiao?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi answered without hesitation. He took two sips of white wine and, for the first time, expressed his feelings in front of someone other than his close friends. ¡°I¡¯ve liked her for many years.¡± Lin Kanglu raised an eyebrow. ¡°She has a boyfriend.¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already broken up.¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°A while ago.¡± Pei Zhi was afraid that he would worry, so he did not tell him the truth. ¡°They¡¯re notpatible.¡± Lin Kanglu looked into Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes and tapped the table with his calloused hand, seemingly in thought. Pei Zhi felt uneasy under his gaze. After a long silence, he promised sincerely, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely treat her well and never let her down.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to promise.¡± Seeing that he was speechless, Lin Kanglu coughed to suppress hisughter. ¡°Whether you can win her heart or not is the most important matter.¡± Chapter 61 - I’ll Visit You With a Different Identity Next Time

Chapter 61: I¡¯ll Visit You With a Different Identity Next Time

Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions

Pei Zhi said firmly, ¡°I can.¡± Once she opened her heart to him, he would definitely close in the distance between them. ¡°It¡¯s good to be confident.¡± Lin Kanglu looked like he did not think highly of Pei Zhi, but he actually liked him. He picked up the peanuts and chewed slowly. ¡°But talking is useless. Taking action is what is gonna get you what you want.¡± Pei Zhi understood what he meant. He raised his ss to toast him, his entire body exuding joy. ¡°I¡¯lle to see you in a different identity next time.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait and see.¡± Lin Kanglu clinked sses with him and pushed the te beside him with the tip of his chopsticks, ordering, ¡°Go wash the dishes first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi stood up to remove the dishes from the table. He carried the dishes back to the kitchen next door. Just as he was washing them, a figure approached. ¡°Uncle.¡± Lin Jiao smiled at him. She carried the basket to his left to wash the cucumbers. While washing, she picked up a cucumber and snapped it in half. ¡°Do you want some?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t eat it.¡± Pei Zhi raised his hands that were covered in detergent, his eyes filled with sadness. Seeing that he really wanted to eat it, Lin Jiao fed it to him to reward his hard work. As he chewed, she took a bite of her cucumber and enjoyed the taste of the sweetness. Pei Zhi stared at her cute face and felt like his heart was filled with honey. He swallowed thest piece of cucumber and wiped his hands with the handkerchief she handed him. ¡°Where¡¯s Yanshen?¡± ¡°He¡¯s helping Grandpa nt lilies.¡± ¡°Shall we go over and take a look?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao took a cucumber and sent it to Zhou Yanshen, who was still fiddling with the flower pot. The noon sun was especially hot. Even though they were standing under the roof, they could feel the heat waveing from all directions. A thinyer of sweat covered Zhou Yanshen¡¯s forehead. He moved the lily to the side and unbuttoned his cor. ¡°It¡¯s too hot! Let¡¯s go in and enjoy the air conditioner.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and entered the house. She copsed in the old chair and turned the air conditioner in the house to the right temperature. ¡°Where¡¯s Grandpa?¡± ¡°He went to sleep.¡± Zhou Yanshen drank a ss of cold water to cool down. ¡°He asked us to weave the remaining bamboo baskets.¡± Lin Jiao looked under the table and said in a soft voice, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m sleepy too.¡± Zhou Yanshen said expressionlessly, ¡°Cut it out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sleepy.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Go to sleep.¡± Pei Zhi was not as immune to her acting cute as Zhou Yanshen. ¡°I¡¯ll make the bamboo baskets with Yanshen.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work in advance.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Having achieved her goal, Lin Jiao leaned backfortably. Only when he heard her soft breathing did Zhou Yanshen move closer to Pei Zhi and whisper, ¡°I think you¡¯ll spoil her sooner orter.¡± ¡°Are you not spoiling her too?¡± ¡°Even if I do spoil her, it still depends on the situation, okay? Unlike you. You basically let her do whatever she wants.¡± Pei Zhi really had no bottom line when it came to loving Lin Jiao. While making the bamboo baskets, he suddenlymented, ¡°When you meet someone you really like, you will be like me.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too sure.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe I will anyway.¡± Zhou Yanshen took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. ¡°No matter how much I like someone, I won¡¯t be like you.¡± Pei Zhi had no intention of arguing with him. He took the cigarette from him and slowly lit it. ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± At this moment, Zhou Yanshen was confident. Who would have thought that¡­ in the future, after falling in love, his love would be even more unbridled. # In the evening. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the fields, embellishing the tender green. The few people stepping on the mud road chatted andughed as they admired the scenery. Even on the way back, the atmosphere was still lively. ¡°Grandpa, take care of yourself.¡± Lin Jiao stopped in front of the car and reached out to hug him. She reminded him patiently, ¡°If there¡¯s anything, remember to call us. Don¡¯t shoulder it alone.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lin Kanglu patted her back, a trace of reluctance in his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote, and don¡¯t eat too much takeout food.¡± ¡°Got you.¡± Lin Jiao looked up and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll video call you often in the future and ask you to supervise me cooking.¡± ¡°You have to discipline yourself. I can¡¯t be bothered to supervise you.¡± Lin Kanglu rubbed her head. He looked at Zhou Yanshen, who always had a straight face when they parted, and waved his hand. ¡°Alright, go back before it gets dark.¡± ¡°You go back first.¡± Zhou Yanshen stood still. Lin Kanglu was sometimes very helpless about Zhou Yanshen¡¯s stubbornness. He could only nod in agreement. ¡°See you next time.¡± He ced his hands behind his back and smiled meaningfully at Pei Zhi before humming a tune as he walked back. The tune, apanied by his reflection in the sunset, disappeared slowly from sight. ¡°Get in.¡± Zhou Yanshen retracted his gaze and opened the driver¡¯s door first. After they put on their seatbelts, he nced at the house in the distance again and drove back the way they came. When the exhaust smoke from the back of the car was blown away by the wind, Lin Kanglu, who was hiding behind the wall, stood on his tiptoes to look for the car on the winding road. Only when it turned dark did he unwillingly walk into the house. Chapter 62 - Securing A Date With Jiang Ye Chapter 62: Securing A Date With Jiang Ye It was September. The Sycamore Street behind Sheng Heng Corp was filled with people. The sound of peddlers pushing their carts along the road mixed with the sound of people engaging in a conversation made the scene especially lively. The osmanthus trees nted on both sides of the road bloomed under the urging of autumn, emitting a rich fragrance. A gust of wind blew past, making Lin Jiao subconsciously tighten her jacket. She walked into a rice noodle shop and found Pei Yn, who was ying with her phone by the window. ¡°Are you talking to him over WeChat again?¡± Pei Yn was startled to hear Lin Jiao¡¯s voice. She looked up at that beautiful face and gestured for her to sit down. ¡°Jiaojiao, he agreed to watch a movie with me!¡± Lin Jiao clicked her tongue. ¡°How rare.¡± In the past month, Pei Yn had asked Jiang Ye out at least five times, but he always put it off, saying that he was busy. She was beginning to wonder if he was doing it on purpose. ¡°All the actors are busy. It¡¯s understandable.¡± Pei Yn looked at the chat history twice more. ¡°When is your date?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± She smiled brightly. ¡°We¡¯ll dine together before going to see the movie.¡± ¡°He booked a restaurant?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He sent me the location.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the menu on the table and ordered two bowls of beef noodles. ¡°What do you n to do next?¡± ¡°Get him!¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m just joking.¡± Pei Yn held her arm and thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll see how our first date goes first.¡± Lin Jiao replied, ¡°Don¡¯t develop too quickly.¡± ¡°Is holding hands considered fast?¡± ¡°Do you really want to hold his hand that badly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She thought of her dreamst night and her eyes lit up. ¡°I want him to wear a suit and let me pull his tie.¡± Lin Jiao facefalmed. She picked up the ss and took two sips of lemonade to change the topic. ¡°Are you free this vacation? Let¡¯s go to Paris.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°Uncle and Qu Shao.¡± Pei Yn was speechless. She was not in a hurry to refuse. After asking Pei Zhi why he brought them to Paris, she said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± ¡°Is there anything else you are busy with?¡± Lin Jiao pushed the rice noodle to her. ¡°I want to go skiing with him.¡± ¡°Did you talk to him about it?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Pei Yn picked up her chopsticks. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it with him the day after tomorrow. If he¡¯s not avable, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Lin Jiao looked at her eager eyes and swallowed back what was on the tip of her tongue, which was ¡®friendship before love¡±. She retracted her gaze and lowered her head to eat the rice noodles. ¡°I hope he won¡¯t refuse your invitation.¡± ¡°I hope so too.¡± Pei Yn could not stop making foolish giggles. Perhaps because she was in a good mood, she hugged Lin Jiao before returning to the PR department. ¡°Jiaojiao, wait for my good news.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao shook her head andughed. After the elevator arrived, she walked softly to her desk. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a nap?¡± Feng Yunjie asked curiously when she saw her pick up theptop. ¡°I want to make a proposal.¡± ¡°The one you have to hand in tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao was afraid of disturbing her colleagues, so she went to the resting area alone to work on it. She stared at the screen for half an hour until she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen which forced her to stop. A momentter, there was a loud sound of objects falling to the ground.. After sessfully copying the proposal, the woman picked up the phone on the ground and snuck out. Chapter 63 - Only Feel Relieved After Seeing Her Chapter 63: Only Feel Relieved After Seeing Her When Lin Jiao returned, she did not find anything unusual. She made a cup of brown sugar ginger tea and focused on finishing the proposal before sending a message to Pei Zhi on WeChat. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m not going to your house tonight.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Period. Sigh.¡± Pei Zhi opened the calendar and frowned. He stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers. ¡°Why is it brought forward? Did you eat something you shouldn¡¯t have recently?¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal for it toe a few days early.¡± ¡°So did you eat anything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao touched the tip of her nose. ¡°I ate two ice creamsst night.¡± Pei Zhi sighed. He thought of how she was in so much pain that she was hospitalizedst year and asked, ¡°Is it very painful?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Lin Jiao took a photo of the ginger tea and sent it to him. ¡°This is very effective. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Pei Zhi would only be at ease when he saw her. He waited until it was time to get off work for the employees before picking up the thermos filled with hot water and rushing to the parking lot. Lin Jiao, who arrived five minutester than him, looked much worse than in the morning. Even her voice sounded weak when she called him. ¡°Get in the car and rest.¡± Pei Zhi handed her the thermos and got into the driver¡¯s seat. He helped her buckle her seatbelt and ced his palm on her forehead to check her temperature. ¡°Other than your stomach, do you feel unwell anywhere else?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go home first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao leaned back on the seat. She closed her eyes and listened to the soothing music. Before long, she fell asleep. Pei Zhi parked the car at Ming Xin Mansion. He first found the key in her bag, then covered her with the nket before carrying her upstairs. When he opened the door, Lin Jiao woke up suddenly. She pointed at the sofa on the right. After he put her down, she whispered, ¡°Uncle, help me get the medicine.¡± Pei Zhi found the ibuprofen in the first aid kit. He ced the capsule in his palm and went over to feed her with a ss of water. ¡°Ahem¡­¡± Lin Jiao coughed and retched, throwing up the capsule. She grabbed her cor and looked up at Pei Zhi with teary eyes. ¡°It¡¯s stuck in my throat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s voice was still gentle. He threw away the capsule she threw up in his palm and fed her another one. This time, Lin Jiao was in no hurry to swallow down the capsule. She slowly swallowed the capsule andy back down when an irresistible sleepiness overwhelmed her. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep for a while more.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi put down the ss. He found a nket and covered her with it before walking into the kitchen to call Shen Yi. ¡°What¡¯s best to eat during periods?¡± ¡°Fish, eggs, and meat are all good food. Make sure it¡¯s cooked nd and non-spicy.¡± Shen Yi asked, ¡°Are you with Lin Jiao?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi opened the fridge and took out a pork rib from the bottom. ¡°She just fell asleep.¡± ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°Not this time.¡± Shen Yi was slightly relieved. He took off his white coat. ¡°Then find a hot water bag to warm her abdomen and make some brown sugar water for her.¡± Pei Zhi replied, ¡°You¡¯re still at work?¡± ¡°I just got off.¡± Shen Yi closed the office door. ¡°I saw that home-wrecker today.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The new girl with Gu Quan.¡± If not for him mentioning it, Pei Zhi would have forgotten about her. ¡°Why was she in your hospital?¡± Shen Yi smiled. ¡°Make a guess.¡± Chapter 64 - The Information I Got Is More Interesting Chapter 64: The Information I Got Is More Interesting ¡°She¡¯s pregnant?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi could not be bothered to guess. ¡°Just tell me.¡± ¡°She came for a gynecological check-up.¡± Shen Yi said as he walked down the stairs. ¡°Then I found something interesting.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Her cervix is transverse, and her endometrium is especially thin. She also has signs of tubal adhesion.¡± ¡°Exin it in humannguage.¡± Pei Zhi was not a medical student, so he did not understand a thing he said. Shen Yi summarized, ¡°She had many miscarriages and it¡¯s very difficult for her to get pregnant again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you surprised?¡± ¡°I already got someone to investigate her.¡± Pei Zhi took out some vegetables with one hand and said calmly, ¡°The information I got is ten times more interesting than what you found.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to describe it in a few words.¡± Shen Yi was stunned. ¡°Is it that interesting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s more exciting than you can ever imagine.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell when I met her.¡± He recalled her good-girl-like look and clicked his tongue. ¡°So Gu Quan was fooled by her?¡± ¡°He made the choice himself. Who can he me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Shen Yi sneered. ¡°He deserves it. He threw away the real watermelon for a fake sesame seed.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Pei Zhi rolled up his sleeves and ced the vegetables he had taken out into the sink. ¡°Let¡¯s talkter. I¡¯ll wash the vegetables.¡± Shen Yi immediately smelled dog food. He walked to the car and opened the driver¡¯s door. ¡°Chu Yuzhou is in a rtionship with that actress. Why don¡¯t wee out for a gathering this weekend?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi was not surprised at all. He put his phone aside and rolled up his sleeves to turn on the tap. After washing the vegetables, he put the pork ribs into the pot to simmer. After removing the blood, he boiled a pot of water and poured the pork ribs in. He added the condiments and ginger and stewed it at low heat. Wisps of mist rose from the vents in the pot lid. A strong fragrance floated into the living room and entered Lin Jiao¡¯s nose, waking her up. She stood up with the help of the nket and approached the figure busy cooking in the kitchen. ¡°Uncle.¡± When she saw him turn around and look at her gently, an indescribable feeling arose in her heart. Pei Zhi scooped up a spoonful of soup. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Try it.¡± He blew on the noodles twice and fed it to her. ¡°How does it taste?¡± Lin Jiao smacked her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s something wrong with my taste buds, but I think it¡¯s nd.¡± She was about to let him scoop up another spoonful when he took two sips too. ¡°Your taste bud is fine.¡± Pei Zhi sprinkled some salt into the pot and stirred it gently. He said calmly, ¡°Help me set up the table.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Lin Jiao said meekly. She ced the utensils on the table. When he brought out two dishes and a soup, her stomach growled. ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡± Pei Zhi ced some food in her bowl. Lin Jiao, whose attention was distracted, picked up the chopsticks beside her and did not notice that she was already used to him taking care of her. In fact, she did not feel ufortable or embarrassed like before. ¡°Uncle, your cooking has improved again.¡± Lin Jiao looked sideways, her eyes filled with approval. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She held the bowl with both hands. ¡°After eating your food, my stomach doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll cook for you too in the future.¡± Afraid that she would refuse, he added, ¡°There is still plenty of room for my cooking skill to improve.¡± ¡°I think your cooking skill is good enough. There is no need to improve it.¡± ¡°There is.¡± Lin Jiao looked puzzled. Before she could ask, he said, ¡°The way to my future girlfriend¡¯s heart is through her stomach.¡± ¡°Uncle¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you aware of how good you already are?¡± Pei Zhi was confused. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Your appearance, personality, and financial ability are enough to move the hearts of many women. Who will care about your cooking skill?¡± ¡°What if she¡¯s a foodie?¡± Lin Jiao was very certain. ¡°Even so, you can still win her heart.¡± At least in her opinion, he had no problem chasing any girls. Pei Zhi took out a tissue to wipe his lips and smiled meaningfully. ¡°You said it yourself.¡± Lin Jiao did not understand what he meant and only nodded. She finished the remaining rice and was about to clean up when he pushed her to the living room. ¡°I¡¯ll wash it.¡± Pei Zhi turned around with the dishes, not giving her a chance to refuse. Chapter 65 - He Called Him a Thief Chapter 65: He Called Him a Thief Lin Jiao didn¡¯t insist. Perhaps because she wanted to do something to express her gratitude, she peeled the pomegranates for him with extreme patience. The moment Pei Zhi came out of the kitchen, he saw her holding a te of pomegranates at him. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You peeled it for me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Jiao waited for him to sit down before cing the trash can at his feet. ¡°Eat it. If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll peel another one for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite enough.¡± Pei Zhi only wanted her to rest well. He picked up a pomegranate and ced it in his mouth. The sweetness that filled his mouth seemed to spread to his heart, making him extremely happy. Seeing him smile, Lin Jiao, who had yet to taste the pomegranate, also picked one up and ate it. She spat out the pomegranate seeds and looked at the television show with interest. ¡°This costume drama is not bad. Let¡¯s watch it.¡± ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡± ¡°The romantic story of a regent and a poor girl.¡± Pei Zhi focused on watching the drama. He leaned against the soft pillow and immersed himself in that distant era with her. When the ending song sounded, he realized that the clock was pointing at Eleven. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep here? It¡¯ll probably be veryte by the time you get back and finish a shower.¡± Lin Jiao was truly concerned about him. Even though he knew that she didn¡¯t mean anything by it, Pei Zhi¡¯s heart still skipped a beat. ¡°Is it alright?¡± ¡°Of course?¡± Lin Jiao returned to the bedroom and found the bathrobe he had wornst time. She stuffed it into his hand. ¡°Go wash up first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi took off the watch on his wrist. He hid the joy in his eyes and stepped into the bathroom that he missed. ¡°Wait.¡± Lin Jiao rushed over before he could close the door. ¡°Take off your suit. I¡¯ll iron it for you.¡± Pei Zhi took off his suit and deliberately let her see the creases on his shirt. He waited a few seconds¡­ ¡°Take off your shirt too.¡± Lin Jiao frowned and leaned against the wall with his suit jacket. Pei Zhi ced his finger on the first button. He slowly undid it. When he took off his shirt, the muscles on his arms and abdomen were clearly revealed. Lin Jiao stole a nce at him and heaved a sigh of relief when she realized that he did not notice her doing so. Pei Zhi held back hisughter. ¡°Is there anything else you want me to take off?¡± If she wanted to iron her pants, he would definitely cooperate. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll close the door?¡± ¡°Yeah, close it.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and left. She tried to shake off his Greek-god like body figure in her mind and ironed his clothes while he was showering. She also heated up two cups of milk for him to drink. ¡°Thank you.¡± Pei Zhi came out in steam, took a cup of milk, and drank it all. ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lin Jiao put the hairdryer on the table. She walked into the bathroom and stood in front of the sink to wash up. ¡°Uncle, the charger is in the drawer.¡± ¡°Under the television?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi ced the phone in the second bedroom to charge. After the lights in the bathroom and living room were turned off, he sent her back to the master bedroom. ¡°What time do you want me to wake you up tomorrow?¡± ¡°Eight o¡¯clock.¡± With that, Lin Jiao said good night to him. She kicked off her slippers and turned off the night light beside the bed. After wrapping herself in the nket, she gradually fell asleep. That night, she had a dream. Her dream was set in the ancient city. In an ancient costume, she was doing ounts in a stationery store. ¡°Miss.¡± A handsome man in a moon-white robe walked over with a brush. He said somewhat sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m short of money. Can you give me a discount for this brush?¡± ¡°What if I say no?¡± ¡°Then¡­ then forget it.¡± ¡°Young Master, wait.¡± She walked around the counter and grabbed the corner of his shirt. ¡°I can give you this brush for free.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Naturally, but you have to do something for me.¡± He followed her to the second floor. When she closed the door of the room, he looked puzzled. ¡°What is it you want me to do?¡± ¡°Take off your clothes first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She held his wrist and pulled open the thin belt around his waist before he could react. ¡°Miss, no!¡± He heard the sound of footsteps and was so shocked that he retreated. ¡°Why not?¡± She stared at his abs and stroked it. ¡°If you resist, you will lose a very good deal.¡± ¡°Miss¡­¡± He pursed his lips, his back pressed against the cold wall, his eyes red. Chapter 66 - Stealing Her Proposal Chapter 66: Stealing Her Proposal ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She pressed him up against the wall happily. Just as her hand was about to touch the edge of his pants, he trembled and identally knocked over the vase beside him. A crisp sound of an object smashing into pieces rang in Lin Jiao¡¯s ears, waking her up instantly. As she held her chest and thought of Pei Zhi in her dream, redness spread out across her face at a speed visible to the naked eye. It was too embarrassing¡­ If she had known, she would not have watched that costume drama with Pei Zhi. ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± Pei Zhi, who was about to wake her up, heard a knocking sound outside the door and quickly called out to her. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lin Jiao stopped hammering the bed in embarrassment. She facepalmed in frustration and sat by the bed, taking deep breaths. When the redness on her cheeks disappeared, she started to put on her clothes. ¡°Come and have breakfast.¡± Pei Zhi waited for her to wash up before bringing the sandwiches to the dining table. Lin Jiao walked over slowly. She unintentionally nced at his abs, and the tips of her ears turned red again. ¡°Is it not delicious?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Then why do you look like you can¡¯t even swallow it?¡± The more Pei Zhi looked at her, the more he felt that something was wrong. ¡°You know, brain fog after waking up.¡± Lin Jiao could only use thisme excuse. She ate faster. After filling her stomach, she went downstairs with him. ¡°Uncle, are we runningte?¡± ¡°No, still plenty of time.¡± Pei Zhi put on the seatbelt for her. He stepped on the elerator and drove into Sheng Heng Corp¡¯s parking lot in only fifteen minutes. Before stepping into the elevator, he said, ¡°Rest well at noon. Don¡¯t eat outside.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She thought of the proposal she had to submitter. As soon as she arrived at the nning department, she got busy. At noon, Wu Xiuwen came over. He walked up to Lin Jiao and Feng Yunjie with two printed documents. ¡°Why is the proposal you made this time 80% simr?¡± Lin Jiao was dumbstruck. The surrounding fell deadly silent. The colleagues who had not gone to the cafeteria turned around and looked in their direction. Lin Jiao was stunned. She took the two documents and stared at the ce he had highlighted. She frowned and asked, ¡°Feng Yunjie, what do you mean?¡± Feng Yunjie¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Wang Rui, who was sitting beside her, and saw that thetter had turned her head away. She could only bite the bullet and said, ¡°You stole my proposal and you still have the cheek to ask me this?¡± Lin Jiao was so angry that sheughed. ¡°You know better than anyone who stole whose proposal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you try to use me. Do you know how long I have been working at Sheng Heng Corp? Why should I steal your proposal?¡± ¡°So what if you¡¯ve been working here longer than me? It doesn¡¯t change the fact you are a thief.¡± ¡°Watch your mouth.!¡± Feng Yunjie pped the table and red at her with red eyes, as if she was about to cry. Seeing how aggrieved she was, some of her colleagues chimed in, ¡°Don¡¯t throw usations without evidence. It¡¯s not fair.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What if she¡¯s innocent?¡± ¡°You two are making a proposal on the same product. It¡¯s not unlikely that you came up with an identical idea.¡± Zheng Yi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°No matter how simr the idea is, it¡¯s impossible for them to be 80% alike.¡± ¡°Brother Zheng, are you suspecting me too?¡± Feng Yunjie looked at him with tears in her eyes. Zheng Yi did not answer. He said calmly, ¡°Lin Jiao won¡¯t use someone else¡¯s proposal.¡± ¡°Are you showing bias towards her?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to exin,¡± Lin Jiao interrupted. She looked at Wu Xiuwen, who was still angry. ¡°Manager Wu, where can I check the surveince camera footage on this floor?¡± ¡°You have to get permission from the higher-ups to check the surveince cameras.¡± ¡°Which higher-up are you talking about?¡± ¡°Assistant Qu.¡± He raised his wrist to look at the watch. ¡°It¡¯s lunch break now. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not around.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go up and take a look first.¡± Lin Jiao picked up her phone and quickly left under everyone¡¯s gaze. She walked into the assistant¡¯s room and saw Qu Shao lying on the sofa ying a game. She asked, ¡°Brother Qu, what are you ying?¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± Qu Shao was so frightened that his heart skipped a beat. He even tightened his grip on his phone. He sat up. ¡°Why did you manage to talk without making a sound?¡± ¡°You turned the volume too high.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao suspected that he might be hard of hearing. She sat down beside him and chatted for a while before bringing up what had happened. ¡°Can you help me inform the surveince room?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Qu Shao opened his contact list. After thinking about it, he decided to go there in person for her. He turned off the screen. ¡°They should be in the cafeteria now. I¡¯ll go thereter.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s wait until office hours.¡± ¡°That works.¡± Lin Jiao stood up. ¡°Brother Qu, sorry to trouble you.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Qu Shao waved his hand and suggested in all seriousness, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go to the boss¡¯s ce to rest?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She did not want to waste her breath arguing with Feng Yunjie. It was not a bad idea to rest for a while in Pei Zhi¡¯s office. Lin Jiao knocked twice on the door of the CEO¡¯s office. After getting permission, she entered and walked towards the long table. ¡°President Pei, have you eaten?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat together?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. He gestured for her to sit on the sofa and opened the takeout app on his phone. ¡°Order what you like.¡± Lin Jiao did not stand on ceremony with him. She first found out the nearest restaurants before looking at the dishes. ¡°How about a Thai hotpot?¡± ¡°I¡¯m ok with it.¡± Pei Zhi picked up his teacup and took a sip. He stared at her side profile as if he could not get tired of looking at her. ¡°Are you here to send documents to Qu Shao?¡± ¡°No, I asked him to help me check the surveince cameras.¡± ¡°Did you lose something?¡± ¡°Kind of.¡± Lin Jiao handed him the phone and asked him to pay first. ¡°The proposal I made was stolen.¡± Pei Zhi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Who did it?¡± Chapter 67 - Firing Three Employees Chapter 67: Firing Three Employees Lin Jiao was much calmer than before. ¡°The one who ate with me in the cafeteriast time.¡± ¡°Her?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°I do.¡± He was just a little surprised. Pei Zhi sent Qu Shao a WeChat message and poured her a ss of warm water. ¡°Sheng Heng won¡¯t allow this to happen. After getting the surveince footage, Wu Xiuwen will deal with it ording to the relevant rules.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao guessed what would happen to Feng Yunjie. She bent down and rubbed her heels. ¡°Uncle, can I take off my shoes?¡± Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. It¡¯s just a little chafed.¡± ¡°Try putting on a band-aid.¡± ¡°Maybeter.¡± Lin Jiao sat cross-legged on the sofa and leaned back, letting out a long sigh. She looked around and her gazended on a ck wooden door. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s lounge room.¡± ¡°Is there a bed?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing her eyes light up, Pei Zhi smiled even more brightly. ¡°Do you want to sleep?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably want to after lunch.¡± Lin Jiao was a voracious sleeper every time she was on her period. Just as she said, after eating the Thai hotpot, she started yawning. ¡°You can sleep for another forty minutes.¡± Pei Zhi led her into the lounge. After shey down, he covered her in a nket. Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to wake me up.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He picked up her high heels and closed the door gently after she closed her eyes. Pei Zhi sat in front of theputer and googled what to do if high heels were chafing. Following the instruction, he first covered the high heels with a wet towel for a long time before walking to the assistant¡¯s room and asking Qu Shao to find a hammer. ¡°Boss, what are you going to do with a hammer?¡± Qu Shao thought that Pei Zhi was going to hammer him. ¡°You ask too much.¡± Pei Zhi took the hammer from him and knocked on the heel a few times. His serious and focused look stunned Qu Shao. He couldn¡¯t help but praise, ¡°Boss, you¡¯re really all-rounded!¡± He even knew how to fix shoes. How impressive! ¡°Help me find a hairdryer.¡± Pei Zhi ignored his ttery. ¡°Right away.¡± Qu Shao went out and shortly came back with a hairdryer. He then put on his coat and prepared to go downstairs. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll go and check the surveince cameras first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi nced at him and said, ¡°Remember to send a copy to Wu Xiuwen.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao turned around and left. Just as he arrived at the surveince room, two figures appeared in the safe passage on the eighth floor. ¡°Wang Rui, are you trying to set me up?!¡± Feng Yunjie was so angry that her voice was trembling, but she did not dare to raise her voice. ¡°I am not.¡± ¡°Then why did you steal her proposal? I helped you out of kindness, but this is how you repay me?¡± If not for the fact that Wang Rui had been in financial trouble recently, she would not have bought the proposal from her. Now, she ended up bing a ¡®thief¡¯. Wang Rui lowered her head guiltily. ¡°I didn¡¯t steal her n. Sun Feiyu gave it to me.¡± ¡°Why is Sun Feiyu involved in this shit again?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to help you make one at that time, and she offered to help, so¡­¡± Feng Yunjie frowned deeply. She covered her face and squatted on the ground. At the thought of the camera footage being revealed, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Go and get her toe over.¡± Wang Rui hurriedly took out her phone. Two minutester, Sun Feiyu pushed open the door unhurriedly and appeared in front of them. She crossed her arms. ¡°What do you want?¡± When Feng Yunjie heard that light tone, she wanted to p her. However, at this point, they were already on the same boat. It was useless to resort to violence. ¡°Where did you steal the proposal from?¡± ¡°The resting area.¡± Sun Feiyu could tell that she was afraid and said with a smile, ¡°There are no surveince cameras there. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, go over and take a look.¡± Feng Yunjie was still worried. ¡°There are no surveince cameras in the resting area, but there are surveince cameras in the corridor, right?¡± ¡°There are plenty of people passing the corridor all the time. Even if I was there, it doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± ¡°Was there anyone around when you went over?¡± ¡°No one.¡± Sun Feiyu did not panic at all. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. If she can¡¯t get any substantial evidence, it¡¯s equivalent to having no evidence.¡± She looked like she had everything under control, making the other two feel less worried and panicked. Feng Yunjie stood up with her hands on her knees. Her gaze wandered between the two of them. ¡°Let¡¯s be clear. None of us is allowed to admit it.¡± Chapter 68 - Firing Three Employees Chapter 68: Firing Three Employees ¡°I definitely won¡¯t.¡± Wang Rui knew that if this matter was exposed, she would be in deep trouble, so she naturally wouldn¡¯t take the risk. Sun Feiyu was the same. She raised her chin and gestured for them to split up. ¡°Watch your expressions lest you expose yourself.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Feng Yunjie opened the other exit door and left. Hearing the footsteps getting further and further away, Sun Haoran, who was hiding downstairs, looked up. Seeing that they had no intention of returning, he quickly called Qu Shao and sent him the audio recording. Qu Shao, who couldn¡¯t find any evidence from the camera footage, retracted his gaze from the cameras and quickly went to the nning department. He sat opposite Wu Xiuwen and yed the recording. He said solemnly, ¡°How do you n to deal with this?¡± ¡°They have to be fired!¡± Wu Xiuqiang suppressed his anger and tried his best not to m the table. ¡°All of them?¡± ¡°Except Wang Rui.¡± Qu Shao was puzzled. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Her behavior is not as bad as the other two. ording to the rules, we just have to warn her and deduct her sry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He lit a cigarette. ¡°The boss won¡¯t be satisfied if you let her off just like that.¡± Hearing him mention Pei Zhi, Wu Xiuwen could not help but be surprised. ¡°Did Lin Jiaoin about it to President Pei?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qu Shao took this opportunity to remind him, ¡°Who do you think thedy boss will find when she¡¯s hard done by if not the boss? You?¡± Wu Xiuwen, who was drinking tea, was so shocked that he spat out his tea. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t joke about this.¡± ¡°¡­But President Pei isn¡¯t married, right?¡± ¡°Soon.¡± Qu Shao was very confident in Pei Zhi. ¡°Probably next year if everything goes smoothly.¡± Wu Xiuwen took a deep breath. He wiped away the water in front of him and slowly calmed down. ¡°Who else in thepany knows?¡± ¡°Only you at the moment.¡± Qu Shao exhaled a mouthful of smoke and reminded, ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone. Thedy boss wants to keep a low profile.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wu Xiuwen understood what he meant. He sent a WeChat message to Zhao Lan from the human resources department and said to Qu Shao, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m done dealing with this matter here.¡± Qu Shao nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get going first then.¡± After receiving the recording from Qu Shao, Wu Xiuwen stood at the door and called the three of them in. He had no intention of wasting time. After ying the recording, he asked the three of them to go to the human resources department to resign. ¡°This recording is fake!¡± Feng Yunjie¡¯s face was pale as she hastened to defend herself. She pretended to be the victim and said tearfully, ¡°We never said those words.¡± Wu Xiuwen did not buy it. With a dark expression, he looked her in the eye. ¡°Is it that difficult to admit what you¡¯ve done?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t do it, so why should we admit it?¡± Wang Rui, who did not want to be fired, became hysterical. She raised her voice and shouted at him, ¡°Lin Jiao faked the recording and even wrongly used us. She¡¯s the one you should fire!¡± ¡°Have you done talking?¡± ¡°Are we not allowed to defend ourselves? Why do you have to help Lin Jiao? What did she give you?¡± ¡°Bang¡ª¡± Wu Xiuwen kicked the chair back. The hand that was pointing at them was trembling as he said, ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to admit it, I¡¯ll have to call the police over!¡± The three of them were stunned. When they saw him open the door and ask Zheng Yi to call the police, they knew that he really meant it. Sun Feiyu, who had been silent all this while, looked at his back and no longer held any hope. She walked up to him first and said, ¡°Manager Wu, I¡¯ll go to the human resources department now.¡± Wu Xiuwen did not respond. He turned to look at the other two who were still standing there. He was so disappointed that he did not want to waste his breath. ¡°Zheng, you handle it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zheng Yi unlocked his phone. Before he could make a call, he heard a female voice. ¡°No need.¡± Feng Yunjie sneered. ¡°We don¡¯t want to stay in this lousypany anyway!¡± Under everyone¡¯s gaze, she returned to her desk. Perhaps she had nowhere to vent her anger. When she was packing up her stuff, she deliberately made noises. ¡°Can you keep quiet?¡± Sun Haoran, who was busy with his job, red at her. ¡°Mind your own business.¡± ¡°No one wants to mind your business except the police.¡± Feng Yunjie waspletely enraged. She picked up the ss of water beside her and poured it on hisputer. ¡°I think you¡¯re still¡­¡± ¡°F*ck you!¡± Sun Haoran pushed her away. He looked at theputer that went kaput and was about to raise his fist to punch her out of anger. ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Zheng Yi quickly stopped him. ¡°It¡¯s not worth it if you get arrested for punching this kind of person.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Don¡¯t dirty your hands.¡± The colleague sitting beside him advised. They looked at Feng Yunjie disdainfully. ¡°A person like her who steals proposals and ruins others¡¯ achievements is a piece of sh*t no matter where she goes.¡± ¡°Hurry up and leave. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself!¡± ¡°Our lousypany can¡¯t amodate a big shot like you. You¡¯d better find another job.¡± This was the first time Feng Yunjie had so many fingers pointing at him. Her mind was buzzing and she couldn¡¯t think straight. She picked up the bag on the table and ran away from this ce where she was hated by everyone. ¡°Yunjie.¡± Wang Rui followed her. She reached out a hand to stop the elevator door from closing and asked with red eyes, ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°You caused me to be in this state, and you still have the cheek to ask me?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t cause this alone. I was fired too. You¡­¡± Feng Yunjie did not want to see her again. ¡°Get lost!¡± She pped the back of her hand and pressed the close button twice. Wang Rui burst into tears. She leaned against the wall and cried for a long time. Just as her thoughts were getting more and more chaotic, a ding attracted her attention. ¡°Lin Jiao¡­¡± After a short silence, she went forward and grabbed her. ¡°Lin Jiao, help me.¡± Chapter 69 - Slapping Wang Rui and Meeting Gu Quan Chapter 69: pping Wang Rui and Meeting Gu Quan Lin Jiao retreated indifferently. ¡°Why should I help you?¡± ¡°The person who stole your proposal was Sun Feiyu! I wasn¡¯t aware of it. It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Do you think you can get away with it just by saying that it has nothing to do with you?¡± Wang Rui wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Please forgive me for this once. I really can¡¯t lose this job.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lin Jiao had no sympathy for this kind of person. ¡°I¡¯m not Buddha, and I can¡¯t tolerate everyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already begging you. What else do you want me to do?!¡± ¡°Do I have to forgive you just because you are begging me? That doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± As soon as Lin Jiao shot her a re, Wang Rui stopped shouting. She softened her tone. ¡°Lin Jiao, my family background is not as good as yours. If you don¡¯t have a job, your family can support you, but mine can¡¯t!¡± ¡°Is your family background the reason you harmed me? You could have told the truth, but you didn¡¯t from beginning to end.¡± ¡°I was afraid of being fired, so¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s two-thirty.¡± Lin Jiao turned off the screen, not wanting to waste any more time with her. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao! Do you have to be so ruthless?¡± ¡°You asked for it.¡± Wang Rui stared at that disgusting face and raised her hand to p Lin Jiao in anger. ¡°Pa¡ª¡± A crisp sound echoed through the corridor. Lin Jiao retracted her hand and smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t control my strength just now.¡± Wang Rui, whose brain was buzzing from the impact, was so furious that she wanted to skin her alive. She ignored the pain on her face and pounced on Lin Jiao while cursing, ¡°B*tch!¡± Unfortunately¡­ before she could touch her, she tripped over and fell to the ground. ¡°Do you want me to help you up?¡± Lin Jiao lowered her eyes and looked at her awkward posture. Wang Rui had never suffered such humiliation. She held back her tears and scolded her, ¡°Stop being hypocritical!¡± ¡°Then help yourself up.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and left. When she passed by Sun Haoran¡¯s seat, she looked sideways and smiled. ¡°Thank you for today.¡± If he hadn¡¯t recorded the audio in the corridor, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with the three of them so easily. Sun Haoran scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Not a big deal.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡± ¡°No need¡­ It¡¯s only right for colleagues to help each other. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring you coffee tomorrow.¡± Lin Jiao did not give him a chance to refuse and walked straight to her desk. She turned on theputer and got down to making a new proposal. Without Feng Yunjie disturbing her, her progress was much faster than before. Her proposal was almost done before she got off work. ¡°Are youing down?¡± Pei Zhi waited in the parking lot for ten minutes but did not see her. Out of worry, he called her. ¡°Right away.¡± Lin Jiao wiped the water off her hands. She ran all the way to the elevator and appeared in front of him as quickly as possible. ¡°Uncle, I was in the washroom.¡± ¡°I guessed it.¡± Pei Zhi helped her put on her seatbelt. He handed her the thermos and deliberately slowed down on the way home. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you the ginseng tomorrow.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Lin Jiao screwed the lid back on. She showed him a WeChat message. ¡°Chu Yuzhou wants us to go out for a gathering this weekend.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°How did he chase that actress?¡± ¡°Spent some money.¡± Pei Zhi turned on the left turn light and looked back to make sure that there was no car. ¡°How much did he spend?¡± ¡°About six or seven million.¡± ¡°¡­ Is he crazy?¡± Lin Jiao was shocked. ¡°Six or seven million is enough for him to buy a penthouse.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not crazy. He¡¯s just stupid.¡± Pei Zhi adjusted his sitting posture. ¡°He agreed to whatever she said.¡± ¡°Did she ask him to invest?¡± ¡°Yes, he even transferred some cash to her.¡± Lin Jiao sighed. ¡°It¡¯s only the beginning and he¡¯s already spent so much. What¡¯s he gonna do in the future?¡± ¡°Whether there will be a future or not is the question.¡± Pei Zhi thought of his niece. ¡°How is Pei Yn doing with that person?¡± ¡°Not really good.¡± ¡°No progress?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Lin Jiao turned off the screen. ¡°They¡¯re going out to watch a movie tonight.¡± ¡°Did she get asked to invest in anything?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too early to say.¡± Pei Zhi did not believe in Pei Yn¡¯s willpower. ¡°Chu Yuzhou is already lovestruck. She¡¯s gonna be worse than him.¡± Lin Jiao actually felt that it made sense. She pondered for a moment. When he stepped on the brakes at the door of Ming Xin Mansion, she looked up at him. ¡°I¡¯ll find a chance to talk to her.¡± Pei Zhi nodded. He looked at the neighborhood through the car window and suppressed the reluctance to part with her in his eyes. ¡°Rest early tonight.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao opened the car door. She took out her ess card and walked into the building on a ground covered with osmanthus leaves. Lin Jiao looked at the delivery man beside her in the elevator and decided to order some food at home. ¡°Knock, knock¡ª¡± Half an hourter, there was a knock on the door. Lin Jiao, who was wearing a pair of cat slippers, paused the drama and ran to open the door. When she saw two men standing at the door, the smile on her face disappeared. The delivery man was the first to speak. ¡°Miss Lin?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Give me a five-star review, please. Thank you.¡± He handed the bag forward enthusiastically. Lin Jiao nodded and took it. After he left, she looked up at Gu Quan on the right. ¡°How did you find my address?¡± Gu Quan had not seen her for a long time. He said in his usual gentle tone, ¡°The address is on the package you sent.¡± Lin Jiao had forgotten about that¡­ She asked calmly, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Can I go in?¡± Gu Quan nced back and was not as impatient as before. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not convenient to talk here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao stepped aside to let him in. She sat by the coffee table with the takeout bag and took a photo of it to send to Pei Zhi. Then she looked up at Gu Quan, signaling at him to speak. ¡°How have you been recently?¡± Gu Quan put down the folder. For some reason, he wanted to show some concern for her. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Are you working?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been working for a while.¡± Lin Jiao took out a pair of chopsticks and started eating slowly. There was no anger or anything in her eyes. She treated him like a familiar stranger and didn¡¯t feel any fluctuation of emotions. Gu Quan thought she was pretending to be calm. He lit a cigarette and watched her eat through the smoke. ¡°It¡¯s not good for your health to always eat takeout.¡± ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing.¡± Lin Jiao replied to Pei Zhi¡¯s message as she went on eating. Chapter 70 - He Felt Guilt When She Said She Didn’t Hate Him Chapter 70: He Felt Guilt When She Said She Didn¡¯t Hate Him ¡°Jiaojiao,¡± Gu Quan suddenly called out to her. He bent down and lit his cigarette. ¡°Don¡¯t y with your phone. Let¡¯s talk after you finish eating.¡± ¡°We can talk now too.¡± Lin Jiao looked at him for a moment. For the first time, he chose to do what she said. ¡°This is for you.¡± Gu Quan pushed the document folder forward but didn¡¯t bring up anything aboutpensating her. ¡°Have you forgotten what I said before?¡± ¡°I have not.¡± ¡°Then why did you give me these?¡± Lin Jiao was not even interested to even look at it. ¡°Just treat it as a gift from me to you, okay?¡± ¡°Not ok.¡± Gu Quan stubbed out his cigarette. He was silent for a long time before frowning. ¡°Is it because of what He Qi said before?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao met his gaze. ¡°I don¡¯t care what others think of me, nor do I want to take your things.¡± ¡°You still hate me?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t hate you.¡± Hearing that, Gu Quan was overwhelmed by a sense of guilt again. He lowered his voice. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Lin Jiao put down her chopsticks. She stuffed the documents into his arms. ¡°Have a good life with Su Tian. Don¡¯te looking for me again.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s heart ached. He subconsciously held her hand. He clearly had a lot to say, but when he met her eyes, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to say a word. This feeling was especially strange. Even he did not know what was wrong with him. ¡°Gu Quan, you should go.¡± Lin Jiao pulled her hand away and sat far away. She smiled and said, ¡°She¡¯s still waiting for you.¡± Gu Quan suddenly came back to his senses. ¡°Jiaojiao¡­ take good care of yourself.¡± Without waiting for a reply, he stood up and left, leaving the documents on the table. He drove to the beauty salon. When he saw Su Tian¡¯s smiling face, the depressed mood finally disappeared. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for a long time.¡± She pounced into his arms, her eyes filled with neediness. ¡°Sorry, I was busy with something just now.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Gu Quan had no intention of lying to her. He said bluntly, ¡°I sent the real estate transfer documents to Lin Jiao.¡± Su Tian, who had not heard Lin Jiao being mentioned for a long time, was stunned for a moment before revealing a trace of jealousy and hatred in her eyes. She blinked. ¡°Did she take it?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t want to ept it, so I just left it there.¡± ¡°Then she¡¯s probably going to return it to you soon.¡± Gu Quan rubbed the top of her head. ¡°If she returns it this time, I¡¯m not going to look for her again.¡± There were many other ways topensate her. ¡°It¡¯s probably best if you don¡¯t see her again.¡± Su Tian hugged his waist, looking like she was showing consideration for Lin Jiao. ¡°She¡¯ll be even sadder if she sees you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan sighed to himself. He thought of what Lin Jiao said about him living well with Su Tian and asked, ¡°Do you want to move in with me?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Moving into Lufu Bay with me.¡± Hearing that, Su Tian¡¯s eyes lit up. When she thought of the check-up report, her eyes dimmed instantly. She lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet.¡± Once they had sex, she could no longer hide the fact that it was not her first time. ¡°Do you have any concerns?¡± Gu Quan asked, not knowing what was on her mind. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do that too soon.¡± ¡°Do what?¡± Su Tian red at him. ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Seeing that her face was instantly red, Gu Quan finally understood what she meant. He really had no intention of doing that with her. ¡°I won¡¯t touch you without your permission.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Would I lie to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Tian felt relieved after hearing his promise. In order to find an opportunity to sleep with him while he was drunk, she didn¡¯t turn him down. ¡°Then I¡¯ll stay in the room next to yours.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Quan kissed her cheek and smiled. ¡°You can stay in whichever room you want.¡± Su Tian pushed him away shyly. She put on her seatbelt. Her previous frustration was reced by the joy of moving in with him. Her mind was filled with thoughts of their bright future. However, a rtionship filled with schemes was destined to end badly. # ¡°Is Gu Quan crazy?¡± The milk tea shop behind Sheng Heng was filled with Pei Yn¡¯s curses. She put down her cup with a bang. ¡°You should have recorded a video back then.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Threaten him! If hees looking for you again, send it to that home-wrecker.¡± Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°He¡¯s noting again.¡± She pulled out a tissue and wiped the milk tea that sshed on the table. Pei Yn pouted. ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Thinking of what a scumbag Gu Quan was, she felt disgusted. ¡°Anyway, remember what I said.¡± Lin Jiao nodded in agreement. She rested her cheek on one hand and took the initiative to ask about their date. ¡°Did you hold handsst night?¡± ¡°No, I just touched him.¡± ¡°Where did you touch?¡± ¡°There.¡± Pei Yn raised an eyebrow. ¡°You know where.¡± ¡°Abs?¡± ¡°A bit further down.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Yeah, I touched his¡­¡± ¡°Lower your voice!¡± Looking at her flustered expression, Pei Yn could not help butugh. She held her stomach and took a deep breath. ¡°I only touched his skin. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re deliberately making me misunderstand.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s ears turned red. Pei Yn pursed her lips to stop herself fromughing. She held Lin Jiao¡¯s arm and said, ¡°I really want to be with him.¡± ¡°Does he know you like him?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Lin Jiao said seriously, ¡°Then don¡¯t be in a hurry to confess. Spend more time together.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn nodded. She leaned on Lin Jiao¡¯s shoulder and suddenly thought of something important. ¡°I met a high school ssmatest night.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before about finding you a good boyfriend? He¡¯s not bad.¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in a rtionship now.¡± She preferred to focus on work. ¡°You can add each other on WeChat first.¡± Pei Yn said as if she was promoting something, ¡°If you miss out on this one, there won¡¯t be a second.¡± ¡°Chatting is so tiring. Forget it.¡± ¡°Why is it tiring?¡± ¡°Talking with someone I don¡¯t know, other than asking him how are you and what¡¯s your hobby, I can¡¯t really think of anything else to say.¡± Just thinking about it made Lin Jiao exhausted. If she had that much time, she¡¯d rather invest it in something else. Chapter 71 - Introducing Someone to Her Chapter 71: Introducing Someone to Her ¡°Jiaojiao, you can¡¯t have such thoughts.¡± Pei Yn was afraid that she would give up on love, so she was even more determined to introduce¡­ a man to her. She said in all seriousness, ¡°What you said is only what will happen in the beginning stage. When he gets to know you better, he will definitely find amon topic to talk to you about.¡± ¡°I still think it¡¯s troublesome.¡± ¡°How about you take a look at his photo first?¡± Lin Jiao had no choice but to take the phone to look at the photo. She pressed two fingers on the screen and zoomed in. ¡°Is he 1.8 meters tall?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Pei Yn thought for a moment and used Pei Zhi as a metric. ¡°He¡¯s only half a head shorter than Uncle.¡± ¡°Normally speaking, it¡¯s about sixteen to twenty centimeters from the chin to the top of the head. The middle value, eighteen centimeters, after being divided by two, will be nine centimeters.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with nine centimeters?¡± Lin Jiao said patiently, ¡°Uncle is 1.88 meters tall. 1.88 meters minus 9 centimeters gives you 1.79 meters.¡± Pei Yn followed her train of thought and stared at the screen in confusion. ¡°But I feel that he¡¯s more than 1.79 meters tall.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because he¡¯s wearing shoes.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. Lin Jiao picked up her milk tea and took two sips. She looked at Pei Yn, who was studying the photo, and rejected her again with the excuse of a height issue. ¡°Yn, I like men above 185.¡± Pei Yn was lost in thought. She quickly thought of a few people in her memory and finally came up with one who met the requirement. ¡°What do you think of Yan Jingshun?¡± ¡°Who¡¯s Yan Jingshun?¡± ¡°The school hunk. He¡¯s two years older than us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember much about him.¡± In the past, Lin Jiao rarely paid attention to the school hunkpetition. ¡°He helped you before. Have you already forgotten about it?¡± ¡°Help me with what?¡± Pei Yn tried to help her recall it. ¡°One time, you were almost hit by a basketball. He helped you block it.¡± Lin Jiao still could not remember. She asked, ¡°Are you two close?¡± ¡°We met twice when we were in school, but we are not especially close.¡± ¡°And yet you want to introduce someone you don¡¯t know well to me.¡± ¡°He has a good reputation.¡± Pei Yn sent him a WeChat message. ¡°And he meets your requirements. He¡¯s 185.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the kind that is too popr.¡± Lin Jiao could always find an excuse to reject her. She pretended to be troubled. ¡°He must have many suitors around him. I don¡¯t want to fight with them.¡± ¡°As long as he likes you, he will naturally get rid of all the girls around him. Why are you worried about this?¡± ¡°You never know.¡± Pei Yn was lost for words. She tapped the keyboard on the screen. ¡°I asked him, and he said he doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°You are really fast, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Matchmaking is all about seizing the opportunity.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. She opened WeChat and saw a friend request. She rubbed her eyebrows. ¡°Can I ignore it?¡± ¡°Be friends with him first.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s thoughts were very simple. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you two are notpatible. It¡¯s not like you have to date him right away.¡± ¡°Then promise me you will not nag me to date him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t nag you!¡± Only then did Lin Jiao press the ept button. After introducing herself to Yan Jingshun, she was no longer interested in continuing the conversation and said to Pei Yn, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to thepany. I still want to sleep for a while.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn held her hand and walked out. She bought two bouquets of flowers at the door and handed one of them to her. ¡°Jiaojiao, your love ising.¡± Lin Jiao smiled but did not say anything. She took the bouquet and stepped on the fallen maple leaves, walking towards Sheng Heng under the golden sun Little did she know that every step she took at this moment would bring her a step closer to her true love. # On the day of the weekend gathering, Pei Zhi found out that Pei Yn had introduced a boyfriend to Lin Jiao. With a dark expression, he pushed the door open and went out to sit alone in the garden opposite the private room. The early autumn wind was chilly. Wearing only a ck shirt, he let the night breeze from all directions enter his cor and swept over every inch of his skin. ¡°President Pei, stop overthinking.¡± Shen Yi walked to his side and sat down. ¡°Lin Jiao doesn¡¯t even n to date him. Why are you so anxious?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not dating him now doesn¡¯t mean she will never date him.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be with her in the future.¡± Shen Yi poured red wine into his ss. ¡°Easier said than done.¡± Pei Zhi took the wine ss from him and drank it at one go. A few drops of red wine slid down his chin and soaked his cor. ¡°I¡¯m not joking with you.¡± Shen Yi tapped the cigarette box with his finger. ¡°Lin Jiao¡¯s attitude towards you is different from before.¡± ¡°What does that prove?¡± ¡°That proves that you will be more likely to be her boyfriend than anyone else.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who appeared out of nowhere, patted his shoulderfortingly. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to Paris?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n.¡± Pei Zhi put down the empty ss. He raised his legs and ced them on the other chair. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s been a change of n.¡± ¡°Have you booked the flight tickets?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll book it for you.¡± Zhou Yanshen did not want to see him so troubled, so he decided to help. He took out his phone from his pocket and looked at the flight information at the end of the month. ¡°Give me your ID number.¡± ¡°You want me to take action first and tell herter?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you discussed it?¡± ¡°Pei Yn is still thinking about it.¡± At the mention of her, Pei Zhi frowned. ¡°Why do you care about her?¡± Zhou Yanshen picked a direct flight on the evening of the 30th. In order to dispel his worries, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll help you deal with her at that time.¡± Shen Yi thought this was a good idea too. He moved the chair closer to Pei Zhi. ¡°This is a rare opportunity. Make good use of it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Pei Zhi took a deep breath. He gave Zhou Yanshen his ID number and sent him Qu Shao¡¯s. ¡°Do you remember Jiaojiao¡¯s ID number?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± Zhou Yanshen booked three tickets. ¡°She will receive a message. I¡¯ll go in and tell her first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi lit a cigarette. The moment the cigarette burned out, he stood up and returned to the private room with Shen Yi. A singing voice sounded when the door was pushed open. Lin Jiao, who was sitting in the corner, looked up and met his long and narrow eyes. Seeing him sit down beside her, she leaned to the right and whispered into his ear, ¡°Uncle, Brother Yanshen has booked a flight for us.¡± ¡°He told me about it.¡± ¡°Did you receive the message?¡± Pei Zhi nodded. He looked at her face and observed her expression. ¡°I think he forgot to book one for Pei Yn.¡± ¡°I just asked Yn. She¡¯s not going.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She has a date with Jiang Ye.¡± The environment was too noisy, so Lin Jiao had to be very close to him. ¡°They¡¯re going skiing.¡± Pei Zhi felt a warm breath on his face and he felt like he was being tickled by a feather. He tilted his head. ¡°Then forget it.¡± Chapter 72 - Kissing Jiang Ye Chapter 72: Kissing Jiang Ye Lin Jiao did not insist. She picked up a ss of red wine and handed it to him. ¡°Uncle, do you know French?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°How about Qu Shao?¡± Pei Zhi retracted his gaze from her lips and took two sips of red wine. ¡°He can¡¯t even speak English well.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to find an interpreter.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said¡­¡± When Lin Jiao leaned closer to his ear, her lips identally brushed past his chin. She raised her voice. ¡°I told you to find an interpreter!¡± Pei Zhi did not react. His body was all stiff, and all he could think about was that soft touch of her lips. ¡°Uncle?¡± Lin Jiao, who did not notice what she¡¯d done, asked in confusion, ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Pei Zhi came back to his senses. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Interpretor.¡± ¡°I heard you.¡± He finished the wine in his ss to ease the dryness in his throat. ¡°I¡¯ll find one tomorrow.¡± Lin Jiao felt that it was too much trouble to talk like this. After getting a response, she distanced herself from him. She swiped open her phone and was about to take a look at the travel guide in Paris when she was attracted by Pei Yn who came over in a hurry. ¡°Jiaojiao, I have to go,¡± she said as she put on her coat, looking anxious. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Jiang Ye is in the hospital.¡± Lin Jiao put down her phone and helped Pei Yn button up her coat. ¡°Which hospital is he in?¡± ¡°Ren De.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Pei Yn did not want to ruin her fun. She stuffed the lipstick on the sofa into her bag and stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll call you again if the situation gets out of hand.¡± Lin Jiao insisted on sending her to the door. She watched as Pei Yn got into the taxi and reminded her again, ¡°Be careful on the way. Let me know when you arrive.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn gestured for the driver to set out. She looked out of the window anxiously. When the car stopped at the entrance of Ren De, she paid and ran to the inpatient department. Yang Qifeng, who was waiting outside the ward, saw her and quickly waved at her. He saw the worry in her eyes and thought that he had made the right bet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to make youe sote.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. How is he?¡± ¡°The doctor said it¡¯s gastric bleeding.¡± Pei Yn frowned and looked in through the ss door. ¡°Was it caused by drugs?¡± Yang Qifeng shook his head dejectedly. ¡°When we met with the investors tonight, they deliberately made things difficult for him and made him drink a lot.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you stop him?¡± ¡°He can only get an audition chance by drinking with the investors. How can I stop him?¡± Pei Yn was silent for a long time. She held the strap of her bag and asked softly, ¡°Brother Qifeng, is he in financial trouble?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell me?¡± Yang Qifeng rubbed his eyes, looking conflicted. ¡°Jiang Ye is very stubborn. I¡¯m afraid he doesn¡¯t want you to know.¡± The more he was like this, the easier it was for Pei Yn¡¯s imagination to run wild. Her stomach was in knots. She turned to face Yang Qifeng and said anxiously, ¡°I promise you I¡¯ll pretend I know nothing.¡± Yang Qifeng was still hesitant. He met her gaze and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°He previously signed an agreement with thepany. If he doesn¡¯t get a shooting opportunity within the stipted time, he will be out of the game.¡± Pei Yn did not know much about the entertainment industry. ¡°Does every actor have to sign such an agreement?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did he sign it?¡± ¡°To prove himself.¡± Yang Qifeng was not sure how far she could go to help Jiang Ye and did not tell her everything. He bent down tiredly. ¡°Nowadays, those directors and investors are all picky. It¡¯s very unlikely for them to choose people like him who don¡¯t have power or influence. Perhaps the only way is to quit.¡± Pei Yn knew how cruel it was for an actor who loved acting to quit. She did not want to see Jiang Ye being sad. ¡°How long until the stipted time on the agreement?¡± ¡°October first.¡± Yang Qifeng swiped the screen and nced at the calendar. ¡°Fifteen days left.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Pei Yn clenched her hands and said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll help him get a shooting opportunity.¡± ¡°Miss Pei, we appreciate your kindness.¡± Yang Qifeng waved his hand and rejected her directly. He said with a sigh, ¡°I don¡¯t want to trouble you with this. I¡¯ll help him talk to a few more directors.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t find it troublesome.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°No buts. It¡¯s decided.¡± Pei Yn would not change her mind once her mind was made up. She stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and see him.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Yang Qifeng did not refuse. He opened the door for her. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± Pei Yn nodded. She walked to the bed and saw a pair of unfocused eyes looking at her. Her heart skipped a beat. He seemed to be still in a daze as he stared at her for a long time without batting an eye. ¡°Jiang Ye, are you feeling better?¡± When a familiar voice entered his ear, Jiang Ye, who was not yet fully awake, confirmed that he was not dreaming. He coughed lightly. ¡°Much better.¡± Pei Yn helped him sit up on the bed and fed him the water. She was very careful, afraid that he would choke on water. ¡°Do you still want some more?¡± ¡°No, thanks.¡± Jiang Ye leaned against the pillow weakly. He had drunk a lot of wine, so his thoughts were still a little muddled. After a long time, he asked her, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Brother Qifeng called me.¡± Pei Yn sat by the bed and tucked a nket over him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to see me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s toote.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not eleven yet. How is itte?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have to work tomorrow?¡± Jiang Ye raised his hand that was not on an IV drip and massaged his sore temples. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I can still wake up tomorrow.¡± Pei Yn walked around the bed and sat on his right, rubbing his temples. She used very little strength. Jiang Ye was so sleepy that he subconsciously closed his eyes. He said slowly, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want just a thank you.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Pei Yn leaned over and whispered into his ear, ¡°How about you kiss me?¡± Jiang Ye was silent for half a minute. He looked up at her a second before he could not resist the urge to fall asleep. ¡°Go home early.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me yet.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Light breathing sounded a momentter. Pei Yn, who did not get a response, leaned close to his ear and said, ¡°Jiang Ye, if you don¡¯t reply, I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± ¡°Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°I¡¯m really going to kiss you.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. The room was so silent that one could hear a pin drop as well as the heartbeats of two people. Pei Yn, who was staring at his face, grabbed his cor and left a kiss mark between his eyebrows. She held her chest and smiled in satisfaction like a child who had tasted candy. Chapter 73 - Giving Without Asking Anything in Return Chapter 73: Giving Without Asking Anything in Return ¡°Where¡¯s my little niece?¡± Chu Yuzhou drank a round of wine and still did not see Pei Yning back. He teased, ¡°Did she throw up in the toilet?¡± ¡°She went to look for Jiang Ye.¡± ¡°She¡¯s having a date with him at this hour?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao picked up a piece of apple and put it in her mouth. ¡°Jiang Ye is in the hospital.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Gastric hemorrhage.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not lethal.¡± Chu Yuzhou was relieved to hear that he was not involved in a car ident. He put his arm around Xia Nanrui¡¯s waist and teased, ¡°Speaking of which, they are progressing too slowly.¡± ¡°Pei Yn is not as good as you.¡± Shen Yi looked at him as if he was an idiot. However, Chu Yuzhou, who was drunk, thought that he was praising him. ¡°What can I do? We like each other.¡± Shen Yi was speechless. It was more like she liked his money. ¡°Sigh, I want to have a girlfriend too.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who had just broken up with his ex, felt restless when he saw Chu Yuzhou having a beauty in his arm. ¡°Young Master Zhou, can¡¯t you take a break?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already taken a break for a week.¡± ¡°Is one week long?¡± Shen Yi crossed his legs. ¡°Then what about my twenty-eight years of break?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t been in a rtionship before. You don¡¯t know what it feels like.¡± ¡°What does it feel like to be rolling on the bed with someone else?¡± Zhou Yanshen chuckled. ¡°You can say that.¡± ¡°I think you can potentially have a kidney issue.¡± Shen Yi nced at his waist and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe for a checkup tomorrow?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious. It won¡¯t hurt to check.¡± Lin Jiao initially did not want to participate in this topic, but out of worry, she asked, ¡°Brother Yanshen, did you do a checkup this year?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Then find time to go to the hospital.¡± Zhou Yanshen could not bring himself to say no to her kindhearted advice. After making an appointment with Shen Yi, who was especially concerned about him, he turned to look at Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Yuzhou, it¡¯s time for you to check your kidney too.¡± Chu Yuzhou burped. He looked at all the men in the room and paused for two seconds before asking, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll make an appointment for you guys.¡± Shen Yi took out his phone and prepared to send a WeChat message to his colleagues. As he typed, he said, ¡°Actually, women need to pay attention to their kidneys too.¡± ¡°What are the symptoms of kidney failure?¡± Xia Nanrui looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity. ¡°Insomnia, emotional instability, endocrine imbnce, swelling, and skin color.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been having a little insomnia recently.¡± ¡°Insomnia is not necessarily rted to kidney problems.¡± Shen Yi took the cigarette from Pei Zhi. ¡°You can do a check-up first.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Xia Nanrui had this n. She leaned on Chu Yuzhou¡¯s shoulder like a little kitten. ¡°Yuzhou, you have to be by my side. Otherwise, I¡¯ll feel afraid.¡± ¡°Of course I will.¡± Chu Yuzhou¡¯s gaze was especially gentle. When they looked at each other affectionately, the atmosphere became especially hard to tolerate for others. Zhou Yanshen quickly changed seats. He sat between Pei Zhi and Shen Yi and said with a sigh, ¡°I think he¡¯s doomed.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just enjoying the novelty for now.¡± Shen Yi looked away from them. ¡°A rtionship that is based on material exchanges can¡¯tst long.¡± ¡°You¡¯re being too absolute.¡± Zhou Yanshen yed a song so that Xia Nanrui would not hear it. ¡°They like each other now, so this rtionship can still develop.¡± ¡°Like each other?¡± ¡°Is there a problem?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a big problem.¡± Shen Yi watched Lin Jiao approach and did not use Pei Zhi as an example. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like Chu Yuzhou at all, okay?¡± ¡°How can you tell.¡± ¡°I just can.¡± Zhou Yanshen was not in a hurry to refute. He nced at Xia Nanrui and could clearly see the undiluted joy in her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve never been in a rtionship before. You don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Ask Lin Jiao if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Lin Jiao, who had received multiple gazes at the same time, said firmly, ¡°She doesn¡¯t like him.¡± ¡°How do you define like?¡± ¡°Giving without asking anything in return.¡± ¡°That sounds silly.¡± Zhou Yanshen was probably used to this kind of rtionship based on material exchanges and did not think there was a problem. ¡°I think it¡¯s normal.¡± ¡°How is that normal?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother talking to him.¡± Shen Yi nced at Zhou Yanshen in disdain. ¡°He treats love as business. You can¡¯t persuade him.¡± Lin Jiao did not want to waste her breath either. She tugged at Pei Zhi¡¯s sleeve twice. When he looked over, she pointed at the watch on his wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go home first, okay?¡± Chapter 74 - Chapter 74: Giving Without Asking Anything in Return 2 Chapter 74: Giving Without Asking Anything in Return 2 ¡°Alright,¡± Pei Zhi stood up and bid the rest of them goodnight. He slowed down to walk shoulder to shoulder with her as they walked down the spiral staircase. When they got into the back seat, he raised the partition to separate the designated driver from them. ¡°How are things going between you and the guy Pei Yn introduced to you?¡± ¡°Not that smooth.¡± ¡°What does he do for a living?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lin Jiao had yet to ask. She opened her chat history with Yan Jingshun and handed it to him. ¡°Our conversations are all very boring.¡± Pei Zhi swiped the screen lightly and the chat history reached the top. He looked at the daily exchange of greetings and indeed felt it boring, but he was also relieved. ¡°Aren¡¯t you nning to meet him?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°What if hees to find you?¡± Lin Jiao put her phone back. ¡°We¡¯ve only known each other for a few days. He probably won¡¯t act so rashly.¡± She was so rational that Pei Zhi knew that nothing was going to happen between her and Yan Jingshun. He changed the topic and mentioned the visa application when he arrived at Ming Xin Mansion. ¡°Bring the documents tomorrow. Don¡¯t forget it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao closed the car door. As soon as she got home, she started looking for documents. After making sure that she did not miss anything, she put them into her bag. Perhaps because she was too excited about this trip, shey in bed and read the guide for a long time before falling asleep at two o¡¯clock. After working for the entire morning, before she could take a break, she was asked to go to the resting area by Pei Yn. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn took out the milk tea and desserts from the takeout bag and ced them in front of her. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I have something to ask of you.¡± Hearing that, Lin Jiao¡¯s sleepiness instantly dissipated. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Jiang Ye is in a little trouble. I want you to help him get two shooting opportunities from Brother Yanshen.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. ¡°Jiaojiao, help me, can you.¡± Pei Yn scooped up a spoonful of cake and fed it to her. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Lin Jiao pushed her hand away, not in the mood to eat. She frowned and looked at Pei Yn. ¡°Are you nning to use resources and money to exchange for love like Chu Yuzhou?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Pei Yn told her what happened. She tightened her grip on the spoon. ¡°He¡¯s not Xia Nanrui. He didn¡¯t ask me for anything. I did it willingly.¡± Lin Jiao opened the wrapper of the straw. She stuck it into the cup and said calmly, ¡°Yn, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to do things for him so early in the rtionship.¡± Pei Yn didn¡¯t mind. ¡°I have to do things for him anyway. Why does it matter if I do it sooner orter?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of when.¡± Lin Jiao did not look at her determined eyes. ¡°If you helped him get through this time, what about next time?¡± ¡°As long as he gets a shooting opportunity within the timeframe he agreed with hispany, he won¡¯t have to worry about losing his job.¡± ¡°What do you expect of apany that cane up with such an unfair agreement?¡± Pei Yn pondered for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss this with his agent in two days. If it¡¯s necessary, I¡¯ll persuade him to terminate the contract with hispany.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it cost money to terminate the contract?¡± ¡°If he can find a betterpany, they will probably be willing to pay the termination fee for him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too naive.¡± Lin Jiao rubbed her eyebrows. She used the workce as an example. ¡°The prerequisite for someone to hire you is that you have something that they value and that you can bring in money for them.¡± Pei Yn understood what she meant. She said very seriously, ¡°Jiang Ye is very talented. He¡¯s not inferior to other actors.¡± Lin Jiao did not want to rain on her parade again. Or rather, no matter how much she rained on her parade, she wouldn¡¯t be discouraged from what she was determined to do. Lin Jiao brought the conversation back to the topic. ¡°If you didn¡¯t end up being together, would you regret your decision today?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn did not hesitate. She could tell that Lin Jiao was about to agree. She held her arm and shook it. ¡°Jiaojiao, help me this time.¡± Lin Jiao pushed Pei Yn¡¯s hand away and picked up the spoon to feed herself a piece of cake. ¡°Only this once.¡± The worry on Pei Yn¡¯s face gradually disappeared. She whispered a lot of good words into Lin Jiao¡¯s ear toy the foundation for thest sentence. ¡°Jiaojiao, don¡¯t tell Uncle.¡± ¡°You can hide it from him for a while, but not forever.¡± ¡°In any case, keep it a secret for now.¡± For the sake of Pei Yn¡¯s life, Lin Jiao could only help her hide it. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Brother Yanshen tomorrow. I¡¯ll tell you if I can secure some shooting opportunities for you.¡± ¡°Okay. Did you not sleep wellst night? You have dark circles under your eyes.¡± ¡°Is it obvious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s not obvious from afar.¡± Lin Jiao turned on the front camera of her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll cover it with makeupter on.¡± ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Pei Yn ced her elbow on the table. ¡°Then let me tell you how far I¡¯ve progressedst night.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I kissed him.¡± Lin Jiao caught the joy in Pei Yn¡¯s eyes and had a guess. ¡°When he¡¯s unconscious?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not unconscious. He¡¯s just asleep.¡± ¡°That makes no difference.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about where I kissed?¡± Pei Yn raised an eyebrow. However, Lin Jiao was not fooled this time. She smiled faintly at her. ¡°Where else do you dare to kiss other than his face?¡± ¡°I dare to kiss many ces.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Here.¡± Pei Yn tapped her lips and moved her fingertips to her corbone. ¡°And here.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°I have a way to get you what you want.¡± ¡°What way?¡± ¡°Put an extra pillow under your head when you sleep tonight.¡± ¡°What can an extra pillow do?¡± Pei Yn, who was curious and puzzled, leaned forward against the edge of the table. ¡°It does a lot.¡± Lin Jiao deliberately paused. Seeing that Pei Yn was eager for an answer, she said, ¡°That way, it¡¯s easier to dream.¡± Chapter 75 - 75 Worried That He Would Not Cherish the Opportunity 1 75 Worried That He Would Not Cherish the Opportunity 1 There wasughter and chatter in the resting area. The warm sun cast in from the window onto their faces. Pei Yn left before the lunch break ended. After saying goodbye to her, Lin Jiao returned to her desk and arranged a time to meet Zhou Yanshen at Star River Entertainment the next day. ¡°Hello, who are you looking for?¡± The receptionist at the front desk stopped her in time. ¡°Zhou Yanshen.¡± ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll get him to talk to you.¡± She dialed Zhou Yanshen¡¯s number and handed the phone to the receptionist. At his request, the receptionist sent her to the elevator and pressed the floor for her. A ding sounded as the elevator arrived. Zhou Yanshen, who was leaning against the wall, took a step forward when he saw Lin Jiao. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat first.¡± He reached out to block the elevator door from closing and pulled her into the elevator. ¡°I specially asked the cafeteria to prepare your favorite dishes.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t change chefs, did you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lin Jiao liked the dishes cooked by those chefs. She had not had them for a long time and missed them. It was meal time. Actors or employees were sitting at the dining table, chatting andughing. When they saw Zhou Yanshen showing up with an unfamiliar woman in the dining area, they couldn¡¯t help but gossip. ¡°Who is that woman?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She¡¯s probably new here.¡± ¡°Not bad. She hooked up with him as soon as she came.¡± Yu Xuan¡¯s tone was filled with jealousy. ¡°Are you envious of her?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be envious of?¡± She raised her chin proudly. ¡°I hate gold-diggers.¡± Du Wei, who was sitting at the front table, sneered. She had no intention of arguing with Yu Xuan. Instead, she called out to Lin Jiao when she passed by. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Lin Jiao stopped in her tracks when she heard her name. Seeing that Du Wei seemed to want to make small talk, she handed the te to Zhou Yanshen. ¡°Brother Yanshen, find a seat and wait for me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk too long.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She smiled and walked over. Du Wei handed the cup of fruit tea to her. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you angry with me?¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t take good care of him¡­ I¡¯m sorry to have disappointed you.¡± Lin Jiao patted the back of her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. He¡¯s already so old and can take care of himself.¡± Du Wei suddenly sighed. ¡°Your brother and I are not fated to be together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Jiao nced in Zhou Yanshen¡¯s direction. ¡°You¡¯ll meet someone better.¡± Du Wei suppressed her sadness. She ignored the curious gazes that were on the two of them. ¡°Jiaojiao, although I broke up with your brother, it doesn¡¯t affect us being friends, right? If you need my help, just tell me.¡± The moment she said ¡°your brother¡±, the expressions of the people who were eavesdropping changed. ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao was afraid that the dishes would turn cold if they continued chatting, so she ended the topic first. ¡°Sister Wei, I¡¯ll go and eat first.¡± Du Wei agreed with a nod. She watched Lin Jiao leave. When she turned around, she realized that the others were all staring at her. She pretended to be puzzled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Sister Wei, is she CEO Zhou¡¯s biological sister?¡± Someone couldn¡¯t help but ask. Du Wei had no intention of revealing Lin Jiao¡¯s identity. She asked in surprise, ¡°You haven¡¯t seen her before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Someone even said that she¡¯s a gold-digger¡¯.¡± She looked back at Yu Xuan. ¡°What a joke.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. People with dirty minds always think poorly of others.¡± Yu Xuan, who was mocked, had no appetite to eat anymore. She threw her chopsticks on the table and left the cafeteria with her assistant. ¡°Sister Xuan, don¡¯t lower yourself to their level.¡± The assistant looked at her with trepidation, afraid that she would re up at her. ¡°They¡¯re not qualified!¡± Yu Xuan¡¯s face darkened. She took two steps before stopping. ¡°Stay here. When his sister leaves, help me get her contact number.¡± ¡°Why do you want her contact number?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t ask.¡± The assistant chose to shut up. She waited at the entrance of the cafeteria for a long time, only to find that Lin Jiao had left the cafeteria through another exit. Helpless, she could only go to the lobby and continue waiting. Lin Jiao, who did not know that she was being targeted, followed Zhou Yanshen into the office and started talking. She finished telling him the entire story briefly before asking, ¡°Brother Yanshen, do you have a suitable shooting opportunity for him?¡± ¡°What are his requirements for roles?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I guess any roles that you can find.¡± Chapter 76 - 76 Worried That He Would Not Cherish the Opportunity 2 76 Worried That He Would Not Cherish the Opportunity 2 Zhou Yanshen asked his secretary to send the scripts in. ¡°These are all major productions. No matter which character he ys, he will have a very high chance of making himself known.¡± ¡°These are not suitable.¡± ¡°Then what kind do you want?¡± ¡°Just an ordinary one.¡± Lin Jiao pushed the scripts back. ¡°He¡¯s still a C-list actor now. These aren¡¯t for him.¡± Zhou Yanshen asked his secretary to change again. While Lin Jiao was reading the new batch of scripts, he slowly lit a cigarette. ¡°These are the worst productions I have. Are you sure you want it?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Lin Jiao selected two that she would be interested in watching. She picked up the ss and took two sips of lemon tea, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the next step?¡± ¡°When he chooses a role, we¡¯ll sign the contract.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t he have to go through an audition?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Zhou Yanshen crossed his legs and puffed out smoke. ¡°I¡¯ll just send him into the production team.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too easy for him.¡± ¡°Are you afraid he won¡¯t cherish the opportunity?¡± ¡°I¡¯m also afraid he¡¯ll get toofortable.¡± Lin Jiao did not n to do what Pei Yn said, ¡°I think it¡¯s better to test him before giving him a role that he can take on.¡± Zhou Yanshen understood her concerns. He took a photo of the script and sent it to his secretary. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave two audition slots for him. Whether he can pass or not will depend on him.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao put down the ss. After getting a rough understanding of the entertainment industry, she picked up the script and prepared to leave. ¡°Brother Yanshen, don¡¯t tell Uncle.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Zhou Yanshen sent her to the elevator. ¡°Be careful on the way. Tell me when you arrive.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, the assistant, who had been waiting for her, ran over. ¡°Miss, can I add you on WeChat?¡± She showed Lin Jiao her work pass. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There is something I have to tell you.¡± Lin Jiao looked at her suspiciously. ¡°Who asked you to approach me?¡± ¡°A female actor.¡± ¡°What is she up to?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± The assistant hurriedly took out her phone, afraid that Lin Jiao would leave. ¡°Add me and I¡¯ll help you ask.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. She rejected gently, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t like adding strangers.¡± ¡°Then can I leave your photo number?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± The assistant caught up with her and nagged in her ear like a bee, ¡°Miss, can you do me this favor? Please.¡± ¡°What will happen to you if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be reproached.¡± Lin Jiao could not bear to see someone getting into trouble because of her. She read out a string of numbers, thinking that she would decide what to do after the female actor exined her intentions. ¡°Thank you!¡± The assistant was so grateful that she wanted to bow to her. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re really kind.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Lin Jiao smiled faintly. On the way back, she called Pei Yn. ¡°I got him a shooting opportunity.¡± # ¡°Jiang Ye, you got a job!¡± Yang Qifeng walked into the ward and handed the script to him excitedly. ¡°Two scripts?¡± ¡°Yes, you can try both.¡± Jiang Ye, who once had a hard time finding even one shooting opportunity, held the script tightly in disbelief. The frustration he felt was gradually reced by joy. He flipped to the first page with trembling fingers. When he saw the names of the director and screenwriter, he was puzzled. ¡°How did you secure this opportunity for me?¡± ¡°From a friend.¡± ¡°Which friend?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t know him even if I tell you.¡± Yang Qifeng raised his chin at the script. ¡°Hurry up and read it. The audition is next Monday.¡± Jiang Ye took out the second script. He stared at the director¡¯s name and had an answer. ¡°It¡¯s from Pei Yn, right?¡± Yang Qifeng could not bring himself to lie to him. He put down his briefcase and sat on the sofa. Just as he was about to talk to him about the pros and cons, the script was thrown at him andnded at his feet. ¡°Did you ask for my opinion?!¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s hoarse voice was mixed with emotions that even he could not tell. He questioned Yang Qifeng with bloodshot eyes, ¡°I said I don¡¯t want to use her. Why are you still doing this?¡± Yang Qifeng picked up the scripts and patted the dust off it. He did not care about being shouted at by Jiang Ye and said calmly, ¡°I only asked her for two audition chances. Whether or not you can get selected is not decided yet.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. You are going too far to say we are using her.¡± ¡°Not a big deal?¡± Jiang Ye sneered. He felt like he was being strangled. It was hard to breathe. ¡°I¡¯m not the one who owes her a favor. Of course you don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal.¡± ¡°You can return the favor.¡± Yang Qifeng looked squarely into his eyes. ¡°But if you lose this opportunity, you are done for.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the deadline yet, is it?¡± ¡°Will you onlypromise when you get pped in the face by the brutal reality? Jiang Ye, you have no choice.¡± These words were like a punch to Jiang Ye¡¯s heart. He covered his pale face as tears streamed down. He hated himself for being ipetent and for needing the help of others to get a job. He also hated himself for not having the gut to just quit. ¡°She¡¯sing to see you after work.¡± Yang Qifeng ced the script by the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. It¡¯s best to let nature take its course.¡± Jiang Ye did not respond. Just like when he was young, he huddled against the wall with his arms sping around his knees, like an injured puppy silently licking his wounds. With thest bit of evening glow gone, the entire ward was shrouded in darkness. Pei Yn, who came to visit, pushed the door open and entered, bringing him the light he needed and yearned for the most. She stood by the bed and called out softly, ¡°Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Lights started to gather up in his dim eyes. ¡°I thought you were asleep.¡± ¡°No.¡± Hearing the sound of stic bags being opened, Jiang Ye sat up on the bed. He looked at the food on the table and felt a lump in his throat. ¡°Why are you so good to me?¡± Chapter 77 - 77 Crying for Him 1 77 Crying for Him 1 These words stunned Pei Yn. She was hesitant about whether to tell him about her feelings or not. In panic, she threw the question back. ¡°What do you think?¡± Jiang Ye looked into her eyes. He tried to find the emotion she wanted to express and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Because you like me?¡± With her thought being seen through, Pei Yn had no intention of hiding anything now. ¡°Yes.¡± She gripped the corner of her shirt nervously, but her eyes were firm. ¡°I fell in love with you the first time we met.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was the first time he had encountered such a passionate confession. Without knowing how to respond, he chose to lower his head and remain silent. Pei Yn was not surprised by his reaction. She handed him the chopsticks and asked casually, ¡°Jiang Ye, do you only treat me as a friend?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he replied bluntly. From the beginning, he had never thought of asking her for anything in the name of ¡®love¡¯ and never had any intention of lying to her simply because she helped him this time. ¡°Then is it possible for you to like me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t give you an urate answer about what is yet to happen.¡± He was afraid that she would get her hopes up and then see her hopes dashed. Pei Yn roughly understood what he meant. In any case, pursuing him was a long journey, so she could only take it slowly. ¡°Eat first. It won¡¯t taste good when it gets cold.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye took the chopsticks from her. He picked up a piece of steamed pumpkin and savored the sweet fragrance. His mood seemed to have been elevated and he felt much more rxed. ¡°Does your stomach still hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t drink like that in the future.¡± Pei Yn poured some soup into a stic bowl. ¡°Healthes first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually drink. This is an exception.¡± ¡°It¡¯s better not to do it again.¡± Jiang Ye smiled. ¡°I know.¡± This time, he also understood that people who did not want to give him a chance would never give it to him. No matter how much he did or how sincere he was, they would still treat him as a servant who could be summoned at will. Pei Yn smiled. ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡± She kept putting food into Jiang Ye¡¯s bowl. In order to liven up the atmosphere, she even told him some interesting things that happened in the PR department to put a smile on his face. ¡°Thank you for helping me get the shooting opportunity.¡± When he was clearing the table, he thanked her all of a sudden, causing Pei Yn to freeze. ¡°Brother Qifeng told you?¡± ¡°I guessed it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put too much pressure on yourself.¡± She threw the takeout box into the trash can. ¡°I didn¡¯t spend any money. I just asked a friend to help me.¡± ¡°Zhou Yanshen, right?¡± ¡°You know him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s very famous in the industry.¡± Jiang Ye unscrewed the lid of the thermos. ¡°I don¡¯t know him. I¡¯ve only seen him a few times.¡± ¡°He¡¯s famous because of the scandals, right?¡± ¡°Not entirely.¡± He took two sips of water to moisten his throat. ¡°Star River is considered the leadingpany in the entertainment industry, so naturally he¡¯s always in the spotlight.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you enter Star River back then?¡± ¡°When I entered the entertainment industry, I didn¡¯t know enough about thepanies and signed the contract without giving it a second thought.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Pei Yn pulled out a chair. At the mention of this, she said bluntly, ¡°I think yourpany is run by a bunch of frauds. Have you ever thought of changingpanies?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Jiang Ye had saved up for almost two years just to have enough money to terminate the contract. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them at the end of this year.¡± Seeing that he had everything nned, Pei Yn did not n to help him anymore. She looked at the scripts beside her. ¡°Which role are you going to audition for?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t read them yet.¡± ¡°Then you have to hurry.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Jiang Ye put the cup back. He caught her stealing nces and felt a little ufortable. ¡°Where¡¯s the ski resort you mentionedst time?¡± ¡°In Lin City.¡± Pei Yn had been waiting for his answer. Because of this matter that had yet to be decided, she even rejected going to Paris with Lin Jiao. Unlike before, she did not hold back from expressing herself. ¡°If you are avable, I¡¯ll buy the tickets in advance.¡± Jiang Ye did not agree immediately. He still wanted to think about it. ¡°Can I give you an answer after the audition results are out?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Yn respected his opinion. She looked at the clock by the wall and guessed that he still had to read the script, so she decided to say goodbye. ¡°I¡¯ll go home first. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Jiang Ye looked into her almond-shaped eyes and swallowed the words that were stuck in his throat. ¡°Then be careful on the way home. Tell me when you get home.¡± Chapter 78 - 78 Crying for Him 2 78 Crying for Him 2 ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn closed the door. On the way home, she couldn¡¯t help but call Lin Jiao. ¡°Jiaojiao, I just told him about my feelings.¡± Lin Jiao pressed the pause button on the television. She repeated what Pei Yn said twice to make sure she had heard correctly before asking, ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said he still treats me as a friend.¡± Pei Yn repeated the conversation she had with Jiang Ye. She turned the steering wheel to the right and sighed. ¡°Although I like his honesty, I¡¯m still a little disappointed.¡± ¡°Disappointment is only temporary.¡± Lin Jiao removed the facial mask from her face and wiped her fingertips. ¡°You haven¡¯t known each other for long. It¡¯s normal that he isn¡¯t tempted.¡± ¡°Then when will he be tempted?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure.¡± She didn¡¯t know enough about men. ¡°But you have to be prepared that he may never be tempted.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be prepared for this.¡± ¡°Yn, love is mutual. If you are constantly thinking about being reciprocated, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even harder for him to fall for you.¡± Pei Yn took a deep breath. She looked at the couples on the sidewalk and perked up again. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯ve decided to chase him for a year. If I still can¡¯t make him love me, I¡¯ll give up.¡± ¡°A year?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s too short?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao just couldn¡¯t believe her ears. Lin Jiao nibbled on the apple in her hand and gave her an idea. ¡°Ask Qian Yue. She¡¯s very good at dealing with men.¡± ¡°Does her way work for me?¡± ¡°Works or not, you¡¯ll only find out after giving it a try.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Yn drove the car into the courtyard. She turned off the engine and parked the car. She tapped on the keyboard twice. ¡°I¡¯ll ask her in person when she gets back to Lin City.¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be back until the end of next month.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not in a hurry.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao hung up. She opened the WeChat message from Yan Jingshun and replied with a good night emoji before continuing to y the costume drama that she had yet to finish watching. Perhaps the storyline of this episode was more tragic. After she fell asleep, she had another dream. The scene in her dream was still set in an ancient city. She sat in a pavilion filled with lotus flowers and was so focused on embroidering that she did not even notice a person approaching. ¡°Madam.¡± A deep voice sounded. She looked up, and the smile on her lips disappeared when she saw him in silver armor. ¡°Why are armored?¡± ¡°There are enemies on the border. Emperor has entrusted me with the task of going to the border to clean the enemies.¡±¡± He put his arm around her waist and said guiltily, ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to see you again. You must take good care of yourself.¡± ¡°Husband¡­ can you not go?¡± Her eyes were red and wet with tears. ¡°We¡¯ve only been married for less than three months. I don¡¯t want to be separated from you.¡± ¡°The imperial edict has been issued.¡± He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. Even though he had expected this scene, when she really cried, his heart still ached. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the border with you.¡± ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be willful.¡± He could not possibly defy the Emperor¡¯s order. She knew this. However, she couldn¡¯te to terms with reality. ¡°Wait for me toe back.¡± He leaned over and kissed her forehead. When he heard the drumming outside the mansion, he pulled away from her. She watched him leave in a daze. She waited from day to night and from spring to winter. She thought that waiting day after day, year after year, would bring about the result she was looking forward to. However, the bad news from the border shattered her fantasy andpletely dragged her into a swamp she could not escape from. ... The day the corpse was brought back to the capital. She asked someone to carry his corpse back to her bedroom and pushed a chair to block the door, isting her from the outside world. ¡°Husband.¡± She sat on the bed and stroked his face. Her voice was no longer filled with joy, but sorrow. She smiled and cried. ¡°I¡¯lle to keep youpany.¡± The room was so silent that even the tiniest sound seemed to echo. No longer able to get a response from him, she put on the hairpin he had crafted for her and hugged his waist tightly. A porcin bottle fell to the ground when she turned around. The brown liquid flowed towards the table with the bottle. The rolling bottle knocked back and forth against the corner of the table, making a despairing sound. Soon, everything in the mansion was on fire. Long after Lin Jiao woke up from the tragic dream, she still couldn¡¯t calm herself down. When she got into the car with swollen eyes, Pei Zhi frowned. He asked softly, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°I had a dream.¡± ¡°What did you dream about that made you cry like this?¡± ¡°You died in battle.¡± Lin Jiao did not tell him about their rtionship in the dream and only summarized it in one sentence. She took out an air cushion from her bag and patted it against her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll never watch a costume drama again.¡± Pei Zhi smiled gently. He patted her head and said, ¡°Dreams are fake. Don¡¯t get too hung up on it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lin Jiao sniffed. She took the steamed dumplings from him and chatted with him all the way to thepany. ¡°Look at my face. Does it look normal now?¡± Pei Zhi touched her eyelids with his fingertips. ¡°It¡¯s still a little swollen.¡± He swiped the screen of his phone and said calmly, ¡°I¡¯ll get Qu Shao to send two bottles of ice water down. You can apply it on your face.¡± Seeing that there was enough time, Lin Jiao did not refuse. She adjusted the height of the seat and waited for Qu Shao to bring the ice water over. She leaned back and applied the bottle to her eyes for ten minutes. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s not obvious now, right?¡± ¡°Not particrly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Pei Zhi unbuckled her seatbelt. They took the elevator up together. After separating, Qu Shao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Boss, did you make her cry?¡± Pei Zhi smiled faintly, ¡°Sort of.¡± Chapter 79 - 79 What’s Important Is That I Was in Her Dream 79 What¡¯s Important Is That I Was in Her Dream ¡°How can you still smile?¡± From his tone, Pei Zhi knew that he had misunderstood. He nced at Qu Shao and said unhurriedly, ¡°To be precise, I made her cry in her dream.¡± ¡°What did you do in her dream?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what I did.¡± There was an undisguised smile on his face. ¡°What matters is that I was in her dream.¡± Qu Shao finally understood. He followed Pei Zhi into the CEO¡¯s office and said excitedly, ¡°Boss, I think you can prepare to tell her your feelings!¡± Pei Zhi pulled out his chair and pondered. He did think about that, but the time wasn¡¯t right yet. ¡°I¡¯ll find another chance after we get back from Paris.¡± ¡°That¡¯ll work too.¡± ¡°Have you found an interpreter?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Qu Shao took out a cigarette box from his pocket and handed Pei Zhi a cigarette. ¡°That foreigner who investigated Su Tian.¡± ¡°He knows Chinese?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Speaking of this, Qu Shao was furious. ¡°He kept talking to me in English before, so I thought he couldn¡¯t speak Chinese. But it turns out that he¡¯s quite fluent in it.¡± Pei Zhi struck a match and lowered his head to light the cigarette. ¡°Which country is he really from?¡± ¡°Israel.¡± ¡°He used to live in Spain?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao crossed his legs and blew out a mouthful of smoke leisurely. ¡°He runs around the world.¡± Pei Zhi roughly knew what kind of a guy the interpreter was. He turned on theputer and his gazended on the bottom right corner. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the old mansion tonight. You¡¯ll be in charge of sending her back.¡± Qu Shao replied, ¡°Have you told her about it?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Pei Zhi asked him to make a cup of coffee. After taking two sips, he focused on work. There was still some time before the holidays. He had to deal with the remaining work before that, including the progress of the new products next season. Only when it was time to get off work did he stop. He and Qu Shao went downstairs on time. After Lin Jiao got into the car with Qu Shao, Pei Zhi stepped on the elerator and drove away in another direction. The Pei family¡¯s old mansion was not far from the old town. Pei Zhi greeted the guard and parked the car in front of the Pei family¡¯s house. After getting out of the car, he walked into the living room along a path filled with fragrant flowers. ¡°Dad.¡± Pei Zhi changed into slippers and walked up to Pei Zhen, who was ying chess. ¡°Are you waiting for me to y Go again?¡± Pei Zhen adjusted his reading sses. He was almost seventy years old, but after dyeing his white hair ck, he didn¡¯t strike people as someone in his seventies. ¡°Who else do you think I¡¯m waiting for?¡± He pushed the box containing the white pieces forward and urged, ¡°Hurry up. Let¡¯s y a round before going to eat.¡± Pei Zhi smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re really addicted.¡± Some time ago, Pei Zhen went fishing with the old master of the Chu family every day and wouldn¡¯te back unless he caught a bucket of fish. At this moment, he became addicted to ying Go. He was probably about to reach the point where he would stay up all night ying go. ¡°What are you talking about? I¡¯m not addicted!¡± Pei Zhen ced a piece on the chessboard. ¡°If Old Chu wasn¡¯t out of town, I wouldn¡¯t y it with you!¡± Pei Zhi did not refute. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He looked around the living room. ¡°Are Eldest Brother and the others still in Bin City?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhen leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. ¡°In the will her father drafted, your sister-inw is given one more house than her sister. They are quarreling over that now. She won¡¯t be back anytime soon.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t her father just pass away?¡± ¡°So what? Do you think greedy people will care about that?¡± Pei Zhi picked up a piece and said with a smile, ¡°I guess they are giving Elder Brother a headache.¡± ¡°If he can¡¯t handle this matter well this time, he¡¯ll have more headache in the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be a next time.¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± Pei Zhen gestured for Pei Zhi to ce his piece. As they yed, Pei Zhi suddenly remembered something. ¡°I met someone a while ago.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Lin Kanglu.¡± ¡°Pa ta¡ª¡± A ck piece fell from Pei Zhen¡¯s hand. He ignored the chessboard that was messed up and asked anxiously, ¡°How do you know him?¡± Pei Zhi talked about what happened in the countryside. ¡°How long has it been since youst saw him?¡± ¡°Fifteen years.¡± Pei Zhen remembered it clearly. He asked about Lin Kanglu¡¯s current situation and was only relieved after confirming that he was still healthy. ¡°Send me his address.¡± ¡°Address?¡± Pei Zhi did not take note of the route back then. He paused for a moment before saying, ¡°Let me ask Yanshen for you.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Pei Zhen thought that with Lin Kanglu¡¯s temper, they would probably be chased out if they went over uninvited. He picked up his teacup and took two sips. ¡°Find time to ask Jiaojiao toe to our house.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi arranged the chessboard. When he talked about Lin Jiao, his eyes softened. ¡°We¡¯re going overseas at the end of the month. We¡¯lle back after November.¡± ¡°Business trip?¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re going on a trip.¡± Pei Zhen did not think too much about it. ¡°You have time to travel but you don¡¯t have time to date?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be dating someone soon.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know when the timees.¡± Pei Zhi was in no hurry to give him a surprise. Pei Zhen did not expect much. He focused his attention on the chessboard and won a few rounds in a row before being called to the dining room by the chef. ¡°How¡¯s Yn doing at your ce?¡± ¡°Not too bad.¡± Pei Zhi had asked the head of the PR department about Pei Yn¡¯s performance, and ¡®mediocrity¡¯ was the word he got. He took the wine ss from Pei Zhen and said, ¡°She went to the hospital to visit a friend. She won¡¯t be back untilter.¡± Pei Zhen took a sip of white wine and picked up two peanuts with his chopsticks to eat. ¡°Is she in a rtionship?¡± ¡°No. They are not together yet.¡± Pei Zhen did not want to ask anything more. He pushed the dishes that Pei Zhi liked to him and finished the meal with him amidstughter and chatter. ¡°Are you going back tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s y a few more rounds.¡± Pei Zhi smiled and sat back down with him. At half past eight, they heard the sound of high heelsing from outside. When Pei Yn walked to the living room and met Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze, her back tensed. She sat down beside Pei Zhen. ¡°Grandpa, who won between you and Uncle?¡± ¡°Both are winning.¡± Pei Zhen lost almost as many times as Pei Zhi. He propped himself up on his knees and took off his reading sses to rub his sore eyes. ¡°When will that kid be discharged?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Any progress?¡± Pei Yn was stunned. ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that he seemed to know about this, she did not hide it from him. ¡°We progressed a lot.¡± ¡°For example?¡± ¡°We have more topics to talk about than before.¡± Pei Zhen snorted, apparently displeased. ¡°You call this a progress?¡± Chapter 80 - 80 Going to Paris 80 Going to Paris Pei Yn said seriously, ¡°He rarely talked to me about himself before. Now that he opened himself up to me, isn¡¯t that progress?¡± ¡°How useless.¡± Pei Zhen nced at her and bragged, ¡°Back then, I only took two months to win your grandmother¡¯s heart.¡± Pei Yn leaned forward. ¡°How?¡± She did not have a deep impression of her grandmother, who had long passed away, nor had she heard anything about their romantic stories. Seeing that her curiosity was written all over her face, Pei Zhen slowly said, ¡°Other than delivering food and helping her out, every time I went to look for her, I always picked a few wild flowers by the roadside to make her happy.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Life was hard back then.¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°Sending flowers was already considered a very romantic act.¡± Pei Yn thought about it and agreed. She looked at Pei Zhen again. ¡°Did you confess to Grandma back then?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhen lifted the lid of the teacup and blew away the tea leaves on the edge of the cup. ¡°I only asked her if she wanted to live with me.¡± ¡°She agreed directly?¡± ¡°What makes you think you¡¯d be here if she rejected me?¡± Pei Yn thought of a possibility. ¡°I think Grandma was already in love with you. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t say yes so readily.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Pei Zhen thought of her shy expression and a trace of nostalgia shed across his eyes. He told many stories about the past and asionally let out a heartyugh, causing the birds outside the courtyard to chirp. When night fell, the lights in the living room were turned off one by one. With the sound of the door closing, the entire house fell silent, leaving only the bright moon hanging high in the sky. Pei Zhi, who was leaning against the bed, opened Wechat. His fingertips looked even fairer against the screen. ¡°Did you sleep?¡± The night owl replied quickly, ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Are you watching a drama again?¡± ¡°Nod.jpg.¡± Lin Jiao took a photo of the drama she was watching. ¡°It¡¯s almost over.¡± Pei Zhi clicked on the photo. After seeing the costumes of the actors in the show, a faint smile shed across his eyes. ¡°Are you really not going to watch costume dramas again?¡± ¡°Never!¡± While paying attention to the plot, she typed on the keyboard, ¡°Are you home?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay at the old mansion tonight.¡± Pei Zhi took a photo and sent it to her. Lin Jiao stared at the left hand on the bedsheets. Under the dim light, veins were bulging under his skin, making him look indescribably sexy. ¡°Uncle, your hands are so pretty.¡± Perhaps it was because she was especially attracted to pretty hands, she couldn¡¯t help but praise him. Pei Zhi raised his hand and observed it for a long time, but he did not find anything pretty about it. He subconsciously typed, ¡°As long as you like it.¡± Before he sent it, he realized that it wasn¡¯t appropriate, so instead, he said, ¡°It¡¯s just alright.¡± Perhaps he felt that this reply was too short, so he sent another emoji and said, ¡°Rest early. I¡¯ll pick you up at eight o¡¯clock tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright, good night.¡± Not long after receiving his reply, Lin Jiao turned off the iPad and the night light. She muttered ¡°Don¡¯t dream¡± three times before falling asleep. Perhaps it was because she didn¡¯t watch drama, she didn¡¯t dream that night. After a good night¡¯s sleep, she got up earlier to dress up and went downstairs before Pei Zhi arrived. Gingko leaves that had beenpletely dyed yellow by the autumn filled the streets of Lin City. The wheels that rolled over the fallen leaves also swept up the dust below the building for thest time at the end of September. ¡°Jiaojiao, open the door.¡± A deep voice came from the other end of the line. Lin Jiao put down the clothes in her hand and ran to the entrance. When the door opened, followed by dazzling lights, the man smiled. He changed into slippers. ¡°Are you done packing?¡± ¡°Soon.¡± Afraid that they would bete, Lin Jiao ran back. ¡°Uncle, help me pack the cosmetics on the table.¡± Pei Zhi nodded and followed her in. He walked to the dressing table and, at her instruction, put the bottles into her makeup bag. ¡°What else do you have to put in there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Lin Jiao stared at the box. After thinking for a moment, she opened the closet and took out a few small clothes from the drawer. Pei Zhi saw everything she did. He cleared his throat and looked away from thece underwear. He slowly opened her bag to check if she had put in all the necessary cards. ¡°Where¡¯s your ID card?¡± ¡°In my bag.¡± Lin Jiao stood up and handed him her identity card. ¡°Uncle, help me keep it.¡± She was forgetful and would asionally lose things. When she went to Thand with Pei Ynst year, she lost her ID card once. She really did not want to panic anymore. ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi took a photo of her passport, ID card, and bank card. He zipped up the heavy suitcase and waited for her to put on her coat before leaving. It took about an hour to get to the airport from Ming Xin Mansion. It was eleven o¡¯clock in the evening when they arrived at the airport. There was still half an hour before boarding. After checking in, they walked along the boarding bridge and entered the first-ss cabin. Under the guidance of the stewardess, they found their seats. After the ne took off, Pei Zhi adjusted the height of her seat. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± She was actually a little excited. Lin Jiao closed the window beside her and picked up the iPad to find a good show. ¡°Uncle, do you want to watch it?¡± ¡°Face pping?¡± ¡°No face pping this time. We¡¯re watching a Korean drama.¡± Pei Zhi took the earphone from her. He listened to the opening song and changed to a morefortable position to watch it. ¡°What are the previous episodes about?¡± ¡°The secretary who has worked for the CEO for nine years is going to resign. Then, the CEO will try his best to make her stay.¡± ¡°He likes the secretary?¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°The secretary is tempted too.¡± Seeing that she was watching with relish and would asionally smile, a thought suddenly struck Pei Zhi. He turned to look at Qu Shao, who was ying games, and thought to himself that Qushao had so much workload everyday and really needed someone to help him. Qu Shao felt a chill run down his spine and subconsciously looked up. He met Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze and asked in confusion, ¡°Boss, is there anything else you want me to do?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± ¡°Then you¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been working too hard recently. Rest early.¡± Qu Shao hung up the phone. Just as he was about to have a heart-to-heart conversation with him, Pei Zhi put a finger to his lips, signaling him to keep quiet. Qu Shao swallowed the words that were at the tip of his tongue and mouthed good night before covering himself with the nket and gradually falling asleep. This night was especially long. When the ne entered French airspace, it was already noon, but due to the time difference, France was still early in the morning. Lin Jiao, who had slept for eight hours, touched her slightly dry face. She yawned, her beautiful eyes filled with tears. ¡°Uncle, pass me my bag.¡± Chapter 81 - 81 Habit Is a Scary Thing 81 Habit Is a Scary Thing Trantor: Henyee Trantions Editor: Henyee Trantions ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Facial mask.¡± Pei Zhi opened her shoulder bag and took out a facial mask and mirror. He then asked the stewardess to bring two sses of fruit juice. Seeing that her hands were covered in cream, he took out a wet tissue and gently wiped it for her. It was said that habit was a scary thing. After interacting with him for so long, Lin Jiao got used to him touching her. She leaned back. ¡°Uncle, call me in fifteen minutes.¡± Perhaps it was inconvenient to open her mouth, but her voice became softer. ¡°Ok.¡± Pei Zhi nced at her. He leaned over slightly and brushed back a few strands of her hair that were covered by a mask. He slowly tucked it behind her ear. They were close. Lin Jiao could even feel his breath on her neck. She looked at him, and a feeling was growing in her heart, but before she could grab it, her thoughts were interrupted by an announcement. The stewardess informed the passengers that they wouldnd in twenty minutes. She told them to adjust their seats and open the porthole. ¡°Jiaojiao, put on your seatbelt first.¡± Pei Zhi pulled the seatbelt out for her. Lin Jiao opened the porthole. She looked out of the window. Her excitement was ignited again upon seeing the lights of the city. When she got out of the ne, she was in high spirits. The terminal at Charles de Gaulle wasplicated. They pushed their suitcases for a while before leaving through gate eleven. The driver who came to pick them up was a foreigner who lied to Qu Shao that he did not know Chinese. ¡°Hello, you idiot!¡± Ven Olle patted Qu Shao¡¯s shoulder and greeted him with a smile in lousy Chinese. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said you idiot.¡± Qu Shao finally understood him this time. ¡°You¡¯re idiot!¡± He elbowed him and quickly stuffed his luggage into the trunk. Ven Olle greeted Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao and opened the door to the back seat for them. After getting into the car, he drove towards the city center. ¡°Uncle, where¡¯s the hotel you booked?¡± Lin Jiao unscrewed the lid of the lotion and patted it on her face. ¡°The Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es.¡± ¡°How far is it from here?¡± ¡°Forty-five minutes.¡± Ven Olle, who understood this question, took the initiative to answer, ¡°Seventy minutes at peak hours.¡± ¡°Is there anything delicious nearby?¡± ¡°Yes, of course. Green ms from LeCinq, macarons from Ladouree and Pierre Herme are delicious.¡± Just listening to it made Lin Jiao salivate. She looked sideways at Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s go buy macarons first thing in the morning.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes were filled with love. He ced the makeup bag between his knees so that whatever she needed, he could take it out immediately. During this process, he even learned a lot about cosmetics. Not long after she finished putting on her makeup, Ven Olle drove into the Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es and braked in front of the hotel. He helped carry the luggage and followed them to the front desk to settle the paperwork. He then asked Qu Shao, ¡°Have you changed the currency?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Just give them 2euros as a tip.¡± Qu Shao searched in his bag for a while but did not find the 2 Euros. ¡°The smallest denomination I have here is ten euros.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Ven Olle gave 2 euros to the receptionist for them. When they were going upstairs, he used the coins he had to exchange for a 20 euro with Qu Shao. ¡°When you tip, use coins.¡± ¡°How much is appropriate?¡± ¡°2 or 3 euros.¡± Qu Shao calcted how much 3 euros was worth in CNY. ¡°The tip is enough for me to buy a few pancakes.¡± Chapter 82 - 82 A Gift from Her Could Make Him Wild With Joy 82 A Gift from Her Could Make Him Wild With Joy ¡°Yes. You take the left room and I¡¯ll take the right.¡± Lin Jiao ran back and forth twice before finally unpacking all her clothes. She sat on the sofa in the living room with Pei Zhi and waited for the long night to end. ¡°Uncle, is Ven Olle a local?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi crossed his legs and told her about Ven Olle. Lin Jiao crossed her legs too. ¡°He¡¯s quite outstanding. He knows a lot ofnguages.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Zhi yed with the cigarette box. After getting her approval, he lit a cigarette. ¡°How manynguages do you know?¡± ¡°Two. English and Russian.¡± ¡°Russian? Did your grandfather teach you that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao picked up two throw pillows and ced one behind each of their backs. ¡°He¡¯s been there before.¡± ¡°Then he must have gone there with my father and the others.¡± ¡°The others?¡± ¡°Including Old Master Chu.¡± Pei Zhi adjusted his sitting posture and said, ¡°They taught me and Chu Yuzhou Russian too.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Lin Jiao seemed to know why he did not speak anothernguage. ¡°Did they stop you from learning French and German?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi looked at her and they tacitly stopped talking about this topic. He swiped open the screen of his phone. ¡°It¡¯s only six o¡¯clock. Do you want to sleep a little longer?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep anymore.¡± ¡°Do you want me to watch a drama with you?¡± Lin Jiao nodded and leaned over to get the remote control. She turned off the light above her head and yed the unfinished Korean drama on the screen. When the first ray of sunlight poured down from the sky, the white veil was also covered with a faint golden hue. The shops downstairs opened one after another. The sirens of Sachs and the cars started a new chapter in this warm morning. After taking a shower, they walked to the next door and pressed the doorbell to wake up Qu Shao. ¡°Boss, are we going to eat Maca now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called Macaroon.¡± ¡°¡­ I got it wrong.¡± Qu Shao touched the tip of his nose awkwardly. Led by Ven Olle, they walked down the street on the left to a macaroon shop. ¡°This thing is too sweet.¡± After taking a bite, Lin Jiao also had enough of it. She pushed the box forward and gestured for Qu Shao to try another one. ¡°The gray one tastes like caviar. You should like it.¡± Qu Shao took a bite. He could not find any beautiful adjectives to describe it. He could only make an analogy. ¡°This is not bad. It tastes somewhat like the pie I have in my hometown.¡± Pei Zhi, who was not used to eating something too sweet, picked up a piece and brought it to his mouth to taste it. He looked at Lin Jiao, who was wiping her fingertips. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± Lin Jiao picked up her bag and looked at the shop opposite. ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s go to that shop to look at suits.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi stood up. He held Lin Jiao¡¯s wrist, acting like he was afraid she would get lost, ¡°Who are you buying a suit for?¡± ¡°For you.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at him, her smile dazzling his eyes. Pei Zhi gulped. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Do I need a reason to give you a gift?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a little surprised.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be surprised once you get used to me sending you gifts.¡± Lin Jiao stepped on the zebra crossing and quickened her pace towards the suit shop. She pushed open the ss door and asked Ven Olle to trante for her. ¡°He asked if you wanted a vest.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Choose the style first.¡± Ven Olle pointed to the row of ready-to-wear clothes on the right, tranting every word the shop assistant said. Lin Jiao chose a ck suit and a dark gray vest. When Pei Zhi was getting his body measured, she went to choose a tie. She asked Ven Olle, ¡°Which one do you think is better?¡± ¡°This is good.¡± Ven Olle held up a checkered tie. ¡°This will look good on him.¡± ¡°He might not like it.¡± ¡°But you will like it.¡± He put it on himself and showed her. ¡°You can pull like this and touch his abs.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. Why would she touch his abs? She picked two ties ording to her preference and walked to the fitting mirror where Pei Zhi was. ¡°Does it fit?¡± ¡°It is a little tight on the shoulder.¡± ¡°How about the arm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± If not for the fact that it was ufortable, Pei Zhi would not have taken it off. ¡°I¡¯ll get them to tailor it.¡± He spoke to the shop assistant in English and walked to the cashier to write down the address. ¡°Uncle, here.¡± Lin Jiao handed him the tie and vest and smiled sweetly. Pei Zhi felt a warmth in his heart. ¡°Thank you.¡± When he walked out of the shop, he held that slender hand again. Every step he took was filled with joy. They shopped until noon when they went to LeCinq to eat. The decoration of LeCinq was like a pce, giving off a luxurious and elegant feeling. Surrounded by piano music and the faint fragrance of flowers, they entered and sat by the window. As the bread, appetizers, and hors d¡¯oeuvre were served one after another, Qu Shao started to get tired. He asked in confusion, ¡°Boss, do you often eat this long?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi remembered that she said she hated waiting. He put down his knife and fork and looked sideways gently. ¡°Jiaojiao, let¡¯s eat at another restaurant.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao still had some patience left. She met his gaze and said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯ll onlye once anyway. Let¡¯s leave after eating the main course.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Pei Zhi reminded Ven Olle to choose a restaurant where they didn¡¯t have to wait for dishes to be served next time. Ven Olle nodded. ¡°No problem.¡± Seeing that they were not willing to wait, Qu Shao finally said, ¡°French people are really free. They are actually willing to spend a couple hours on a meal.¡± Ven Olle said with a chuckle, ¡°They can even eat until midnight.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t their stomachs explode?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of such a thing happening.¡± His overly serious look amused Lin Jiao. ¡°Try it next time.¡± She forked up the salmon that had just been served and chewed it slowly. Ven Olle shook his head. He swallowed the food in his mouth. ¡°If I have this much time, I¡¯ll spend it on ying and making money. It¡¯s not worth spending it on a meal.¡± Qu Shao clicked his tongue and tempted him with money. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you fifty euros to eat until midnight. How about that?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°A hundred euros?¡± ¡°No.¡± Ven Olle said adamantly. ¡°If you give me a thousand euros, I¡¯ll consider it.¡± ¡°In your dream.¡± Qu Shao rolled his eyes at him. He finished the main course and went to pay the bill at Pei Zhi¡¯s instruction. When he got the bill, he was shocked. ¡°What a coincidence!¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°A thousand euros.¡± ¡°I guessed it.¡± Ven Olle smiled and put his hand on his shoulder. ¡°You have an ugly expression on your face. You look like an idiot.¡± Chapter 83 - 83 She Had Never Kissed 83 She Had Never Kissed Hearing this, Qu Shao started bickering with him again. They bickered all the way to the door and only stopped when they saw passersby looking at them with strange gazes. ¡°Boss, where are we going next?¡± ¡°The Eiffel Tower.¡± Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and looked at the building in the square. ¡°Let¡¯s look around before going to the Seine to catch a boat.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao pulled Ven Olle and quickened the pace to keep a distance from Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao. Lin Jiao looked around at the shops. asionally, when she saw some new and interesting stores, she would pull Pei Zhi in to shop. ¡°Uncle, which color looks good?¡± She tried on the sapphire and burgundy berets and asked him with difficulty. ¡°They both look good on you.¡± Pei Zhi pushed aside the hair at her temple. He picked up another purple one and put it on her head, studying it carefully. ¡°Your skin is fair, so all the colors will look good on you.¡± ¡°The more you say that, the more conflicted I feel.¡± Lin Jiao looked at herself in the mirror, unable to decide. At this moment, Pei Zhi walked to the cashier and bought all three. He stood behind her with the bag and brushed his right hand across her shoulder. ¡°Now, you won¡¯t feel conflicted.¡± Lin Jiao suddenly smiled. She followed him out and gradually got used to his hand gently ced on her wrist. When they arrived at Champ de Mars, the tower built with simple structure came into sight. ¡°The Eiffel Tower was built on January 26, 1887.¡± The tour guide, Ven Olle, stammered about the history of the tower. After a brief introduction, he found a spot facing the tower. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll help you take two photos.¡± Qu Shao sensibly stepped aside. He tilted his head to look at the two of them on the screen. With the warm sun casting its ray of lights on their side profiles and a genuine smile on their faces, they looked like a couple in love, envied by everyone who passed by. Ven Olle felt the same with Qu Shao. If not for the fact that he knew they were not a couple, he would definitely make them kiss with their backs facing the tower to create the atmosphere he wanted. ¡°Done.¡± He walked forward to show them the photos. ¡°Let¡¯s take a few photos together.¡± Lin Jiao asked the blonde auntie passing by to help her capture this beautiful moment. They continued along the path and walked to the edge of the Seine, mesmerized by the fragrance and music. ¡°I suddenly thought of a song.¡± Qu Shao looked at sparkling water on the river. He hummed it out. ¡°Coffee on the left bank of the Seine. I¡¯ll taste your beauty in one cup.¡± ¡°A mouth with lipstick marks.¡± Lin Jiao pointed at the lipstick marks on the edge of the milk tea cup, feeling that it was especially fitting. However, she was not drinking coffee. Pei Zhi stared at her smile and said in a gentle voice, ¡°You said that you¡¯re a little difficult to woo and wanted me to give up.¡± Lin Jiao didn¡¯t capture the emotions in his eyes. She subconsciously continued with the lyrics, ¡°You don¡¯t have to give me an expensive gift. Just the fallen leaves will do¡­¡± ¡°Your eyes are saying that you are willing.¡± Qu Shao dragged out thest word, thinking that he had sung it perfectly. As he flicked his tongue, he raised his chin in Ven Olle¡¯s direction. ¡°Have you heard this song?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the name of the song?¡± ¡°Confession Balloon.¡± ¡°No.¡± Feeling that this song wasn¡¯t too bad, Ven Olle said, ¡°Will you teach me how to sing tonight?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Qu Shao was extremely confident. He started humming again, looking like he was a singer in a concert with thousands of fans down the stage. His facial and eye expressions were exaggerated. ¡°Uncle.¡± Lin Jiao tugged at Pei Zhi¡¯s sleeve. When he lowered his head, she said, ¡°Brother Qu is so funny.¡± ¡°He¡¯s always been like this.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice it before?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t spent enough time with him.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the top of her head and led her onto the cruise ship. They walked to the stern and sat down at a long table. They ordered some food and wine and admired the scenery on the shore. ¡°Close your eyes, babe,¡± a maic male voice said from the front table. A blue-eyed man with chestnut hair looked at the girl in his arms affectionately. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You know why.¡± Ignoring the gazes of others, he pinched her chin and covered her lips with his. The affection they disyed in public was like a scorching fire that burned the people sitting nearby. Lin Jiao bit the straw and blushed. Not long after she looked away, she couldn¡¯t help but look at them again. The more she looked at them, the more she felt that they were a good match and that they were in deep love. Seeing that her ears and face were red, Ven Olle, who had yet to grasp the meaning of euphemism in Chinese, asked bluntly, ¡°Have you ever kissed anyone?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Are you happy?¡± ¡°I am.¡± This answer stunned Pei Zhi for a moment before joy washed over him. He suppressed his excitement and pretended to be calm as he took two sips of ice cream. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°Unbelievable.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be surprised about? My first kiss was only takenst year.¡± ¡°You have a girlfriend?¡± Ven Olle really could not imagine Qu Shao in a rtionship. Lin Jiao was also very curious. ¡°I used to have, but I don¡¯t anymore.¡± Qu Shao¡¯s tone was calm andposed. ¡°Why did you break up?¡± ¡°She thinks I¡¯m poor.¡± This reason was beyond Lin Jiao¡¯s expectations. She asked, ¡°How much do you earn every month?¡± ¡°50,000 yuan without the bonus.¡± Pei Zhi estimated and answered for Qu Shao, ¡°His annual ie is about a million yuan.¡± ¡°You call that poor?¡± ¡°In her eyes, only billionaires are not poor.¡± Qu Shao took out a few cigarettes from his cigarette box and handed them to them. ¡°Fortunately, we separated early. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t get over it so quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Lin Jiao sucked out the toppings at the bottom of the milk tea cup. As she chewed the toppings, she saw that the couple at the table on the left started to kiss again. She sighed and said, ¡°They¡¯re too good at expressing their love.¡± ¡°I am good at it too.¡± Ven Olle raised his chin. He talked about his girlfriend. ¡°I kiss her every day and say ¡®I love you¡¯.¡± ¡°How mushy!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you ever say ¡®I love you¡¯?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao could not bring himself to say it. ¡°I only told her that I like her, but not love.¡± ¡°When you truly fall in love with someone, you want to say ¡®I love you¡¯ and kiss her at any time.¡± Ven Olle seemed to be showing off to them. ¡°Kiss feels sweeter than eating candy.¡± Pei Zhi, who did not like sweetness, was intrigued. He rubbed the ss with his fingers and looked at the red lips on Lin Jiao again. He had to find a chance to see how sweet they were. ¡°Cut it out. Hurry up and introduce this ce to us.¡± Qu Shao pointed at the Statue of Liberty opposite. Chapter 84 - 84 Don’t Do Anything You Will Regret 84 Don¡¯t Do Anything You Will Regret Under his urging, Ven Olle got serious with being a guide again and introduced the scenery and buildings along the way. He would asionally tell them some interesting things that had happened recently in a humorous way. After the four of them finished sightseeing, it was already evening. They returned to the Champs-¨¦lys¨¦es to admire the nightndscape. ¡°Uncle, I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡± Lin Jiao had not been sightseeing like this for a long time. Her feet and calves were sore. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ll give you a piggyback.¡± ¡°No need. Help me over and sit for a while.¡± ¡°We¡¯re almost at the hotel.¡± Pei Zhi wanted her to go back and soak her feet in a hot bath. Seeing that he was already squatting down in front of her, Lin Jiao could only get on his neck. She leaned on his shoulder and felt the sense of security he gave her. ¡°Let¡¯s drive tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi could not bear to tire her out. He asked Qu Shao to buy some snacks and water from a nearby convenience store just in case she felt hungry at night. ¡°Boss, what time do we set out tomorrow?¡± Qu Shao opened the door for them and ced the bag of food on the coffee table in the living room. ¡°Nine o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Alright, rest early.¡± Pei Zhi nodded and squatted down again. After Qu Shao left, he locked the door and went into the bathroom to get a basin of hot water, in which he also added a bit of rose essential oil. ¡°Uncle, help me get some makeup remover.¡± Lin Jiao had been wearing makeup all day and felt ufortable. ¡°Right away.¡± Pei Zhi brought out the basin and went back to get her makeup remover. He wet the cotton pads one by one and handed them to her. ¡°Does your foot still hurt?¡± ¡°Much better.¡± Lin Jiao removed the mascara and eye shadow and handed the stained cotton back to Pei Zhi to get clean ones from him. After repeating this a few times, her skin finally felt like it could breathe. ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a shower first.¡± Pei Zhi took off his windbreaker and turned on the television for her. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to take your pajamas.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lin Jiao looked away when she heard the door close. She looked at her phone and saw that it was three in the afternoon in China, just the right time to call Pei Yn. ¡°Yn, are you there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A few days after Jiang Ye passed the audition, he agreed to go skiing with her in Lin City. Pei Yn was excited for a long time because of this. She nced at Jiang Ye, who was in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°We¡¯re on our way to the hotel. What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m at the hotel too.¡± ¡°What time is it in Paris?¡± ¡°Ten o¡¯clock in the evening.¡± Lin Jiao could hear the excitement in her voice and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did you make any progress?¡± ¡°Not at the moment.¡± ¡°Then make sure you don¡¯t do anything that you¡¯ll regret.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Pei Yn chatted with her until Jiang Ye stepped on the brakes. As soon as Pei Yn hung up, Pei Zhi came out of the bathroom with a wet face. He did not bother drying his hair and bent down to check the temperature of the basin that Lin Jiao was soaking her feet in. ¡°The water is already cold. Why don¡¯t you change it?¡± He held her ankle like he was treating something fragile. Lin Jiao lifted her feet cooperatively. ¡°I was calling Yn and didn¡¯t notice.¡± ¡°Was the conversation so engaging that you forgot everything else?¡± ¡°I was talking to her about Jiang Ye.¡± Pei Zhi poured the water in the basin into the toilet bowl. When he came out again, he picked up the towel and rubbed his wet hair. He sat beside her. ¡°How are things between them now?¡± ¡°No progress yet.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s gazended on his bathrobe, which was slightly open, and was tempted to touch his abs. Pei Zhi caught her gaze. ¡°Jiaojiao, where are you looking?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as if she had been spotted by a teacher ying with her phone in the ssroom. She pretended to be calm. ¡°It¡¯s wet there.¡± Perhaps because she wanted to prove herself right, she took out two tissues and wiped his corbone. ¡°Are there any other ces?¡± Pei Zhi leaned against the sofa, his chest muscles revealing as if he was seducing her. ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao wiped the water droplets that were none-existent with a tissue. Through the thin tissue, she could feel the warmth of his body. When her hand identally touched his skin, she retracted her hand immediately as if she got an electric shock. Pei Zhi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is it all dry?¡± He suppressed the darkness in his eyes to avoid scaring her. ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao took a deep breath. She threw away the crumpled tissue and rushed to the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll go and remove my makeup.¡± Pei Zhi looked at the makeup remover on the coffee table and smiled happily. He slowly dried his hair and walked into the bedroom on the right to find her pajamas. After about forty minutes, a kitten-like voice entered his ears. ¡°Uncle, I forgot to take my pajamas.¡± ¡°It¡¯s at the door.¡± ¡°So quick?¡± ¡°I put it there for you forty minutes ago.¡± Lin Jiao was touched by his thoughtfulness again. She raised one snow-white leg and stepped out of the bathtub. She wrapped herself in a towel and went to the door to take her clothes. Seeing that he even put her underwear there, her cheeks were as red as a ripe apple. ¡°Jiaojiao, can Ie in?¡± A momentter, he asked gently. ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi pushed the door open and entered. He stood in front of the sink and nced at the underwear she was washing while squeezing toothpaste. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use hot water?¡± ¡°Hot water will make it shrink.¡± Lin Jiao stood on her tiptoes to hang the hanger on the clothesline beside her. She took the toothbrush from him and finished brushing her teeth with him. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m going back to my room.¡± Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Good night.¡± He turned to the left when her door was closed. The hazy moonlight and starlight ovepped, emitting a bright and gentle light that shone on the bed, apanying them to sleep. When the sky lit up, causing the moon to retreat with the stars, the earth was painted a golden hue. The doorbell rang at ten. ¡°Boss, are you ready?¡± Qu Shao leaned against the door, having no intention of entering. ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi took out his room card. He put his arm around Lin Jiao and left the hotel. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Mus¨¦e d¡¯Orsay first. You can arrange the rest of the itinerary.¡± Ven Olle stepped on the elerator. ¡°Okay.¡± The Mus¨¦e d¡¯Orsay is on the left bank of the Seine, across the river from the Louver and the Tuileries Gardens. The museum was renovated from an abandoned train station. The entire building looked old-fashioned. Because there were many Impressionist paintings collected in the museum, it was called the pce of the Impressionists. ¡°Go upstairs first.¡± Ven Olle had been here many times and was extremely familiar with the disys in the museum. He led them to the elevator from the right. ¡°The lower floors are filled with sculptures. Let¡¯s start from the upper floors.¡± ¡°Which floor is M¡¯s work on?¡± ¡°Fifth floor. His and Van Gogh¡¯s work is the treasure of Orsay. It¡¯s easy to find.¡± Chapter 85 - 85 Admiring the Paintings 85 Admiring the Paintings Lin Jiao looked around expectantly. When she saw M¡¯s painting, ¡°The Woman With an Umbre ¡±, she was indescribably happy and couldn¡¯t stop herself from smelling. The woman in the painting was standing in the grass with an umbre, her scarf and white dress fluttering in the wind. Although the figure was blurry, one could still feel the beauty of the painting. ¡°Uncle, do you know who she is?¡± Lin Jiao asked Pei Zhi with a smile. ¡°M¡¯s wife, Kamei.¡± ¡°No, the one with Kamei in it is in Washington.¡± Pei Zhi recalled the painting from his memory and indeed found something different from the one in front of him. He asked in confusion, ¡°Then who is she?¡± ¡°The daughter of M¡¯s second wife.¡± ¡°Not his biological daughter?¡± ¡°No. Suzanne is the child of M¡¯s wife and brother.¡± Pei Zhi could notment on theirplicated rtionship. He looked at the ¡°Water Lotus¡± not far away. After she finished appreciating ¡°The Woman With the Umbre¡±, he led her over. While they were discussing, Qu Shao, who had no clue whatsoever about arts, slowed down. He walked over to Van Gogh¡¯s Self-Portrait and handed the phone to Ven Olle. ¡°Help me take a photo.¡± Seeing that Qu Shao only wanted to take photos of Van Gogh¡¯s paintings from the beginning to the end, Ven Olle said curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to look at the works of Renaud and Degas?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao only knew Van Gogh. He posted the photos he had just taken on WeChat and wrote. ¡°Van Gogh is irreceable in my heart.¡± ¡°Which painting do you like best?¡± ¡°The one with a vi.¡± Ven Olle was confused for a long time. He leaned over and stared at Qu Shao¡¯s phone. He couldn¡¯t help but punch him. ¡°Idiot! This is a church.¡± Qu Shao smiled awkardly. He turned off the screen and said seriously, ¡°Is church not a house? I think you¡¯re an idiot.¡± ¡°Churches are different from houses.¡± ¡°Different in what way? Aren¡¯t they all made of granite?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just quibbling.¡± They discussed the topic of houses and churches for a long time. Two hourster, they were still talking about it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you thirsty?¡± When Lin Jiao was led out of the museum by Pei Zhi, she looked back. ¡°A little.¡± Qu Shao swallowed his saliva. ¡°I was too busy quibbling with him to even look at the sculptures downstairs.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go in and take a look?¡± ¡°No need.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand the scriptures anyway. ¡°Where are we going next?¡± ¡°Church of the Sacred Heart.¡± Ven Olle found a parking spot and got into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°There¡¯s a restaurant called LeCoqRico nearby that¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°What¡¯s their signature dish?¡± ¡°Roast chicken.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s appetite was aroused. She looked out the window at the traffic and got out of the car with them to walk to LeCoqRico at the entrance of an alley. While waiting for food, they chatted about their uing ns and cut down the ces they did not have to go to under Ven Olle¡¯s suggestion. ¡°I¡¯ll book a ticket to Disnend first.¡± Qu Shao opened the ticketing app. After paying, he asked, ¡°Boss, when are we going back?¡± ¡°Three o¡¯clock on the sixth.¡± ¡°We got tiem then.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi rolled up his sleeves and wiped the juice that Lin Jiao identally spilled on the table. ¡°We can rest for a day when we get back.¡± Lin Jiao drank the rest of the juice. When she smiled, the corners of her eyes curled up slightly like a hook. She rested her chin on her palm and stroked her skin with her jade-like fingertips. ¡°I¡¯ll have to start working for President Pei again in a few days.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to work?¡± ¡°I do, but I want a sry raise more.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Qu Shao¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard the sry raise. ¡°Boss, can you give us a raise when we get back?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi agreed readily. He looked at the roasted chicken on the table. As the waiter cut the chicken into pieces, he asked Lin Jiao, ¡°What¡¯s your sry now?¡± ¡°Five thousand.¡± ¡°That low?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°I just passed the probation period at the end ofst month. I don¡¯t have much bonus yet.¡± There were too many departments in Sheng Heng Corp, so Pei Zhi could not always pay attention to the sries of his employees. He looked at Qu Shao, who said, ¡°Most employees of the nning department earn about 8,000 to 15,000 yuan a month.¡± ¡°What about the team leader?¡± ¡°Team Leader is between fifteen and twenty thousand.¡± Pei Zhi picked up a piece of chicken and ced it on her te. He then asked her about her career n, ¡°Do you want to stay in the nning department?¡± ¡°At the moment, yes.¡± Lin Jiao tasted the crispy meat on the outside and tender on the inside. ¡°I¡¯ll think about other things when I get promoted to team leader.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi knew that she wanted to learn something from her job. He suppressed his urge to promote her to be his secretary. ¡°With your ability, you can even be promoted to supervisor.¡± ¡°I think so too,¡± Qu Shao agreed. As time passed, the golden sun hanging in the sky fell from the west and alternated with the bright moon before rising from the east. The car carrying the four of them drove through the streets of Paris and headed east against the sun. It stopped outside the gate of the Disney. Paris Disney was divided into two parks: Disney Studios and Disnend. The former was suitable for exciting and adventurous activities, while thetter was suitable for taking photos and watching fireworks at night. ¡°Do you want to y this?¡± Ven Olle turned to ask them, pointing at an old house. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°A haunted house.¡± Driven by curiosity, Lin Jiao agreed. She followed them into the haunted house set up in the hotel and was led by the staff to watch a video in the hall. The theme of the haunted house was that on the night of October 31, the hotel was struck by lightning, causing an elevator filled with passengers to be transported to the underworld. Just looking at the scene shing in the video, Lin Jiao felt an indescribable nervousness. She nced at the spiderweb above her head and leaned against Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, I think it¡¯s better if you hold my hand.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been holding your hand, haven¡¯t I?¡± Pei Zhi looked at her slender wrist. ¡°This kind of hand-holding doesn¡¯t work.¡± She pursed her lips, her gaze never leaving his face. ¡°It¡¯s too easy to get pushed away.¡± Chapter 86 - 86 Scared into Hiding in His Arms 86 Scared into Hiding in His Arms Pei Zhi nced at the very few tourists and did not expose her. ¡°Then how should we hold hands?¡± Lin Jiao stuck her left hand into his palm and said with a smile, ¡°This way, we won¡¯t get pushed away.¡± If not for her lousy excuse, Pei Zhi would have been fooled by her innocent eyes. He felt her warmth spreading out across his body and his fingertips felt like they had been electrocuted. ¡°It¡¯s time to enter the elevator.¡± Lin Jiao felt her scalp tingle from the cold wind. She didn¡¯t even have time to think about why he was standing there in a daze. Pei Zhi tightened his grip on her hand. He walked to the three rows of seats in the elevator and was about to give her a suggestion when he saw her sit beside Qu Shao in the first row. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit in the back?¡± ¡°The back row is too dark.¡± Inparison, facing those strange things was much better than letting her imagination run wild. ¡°See you.¡± The staff standing at the door waved at them mechanically and smiled strangely. ¡°Damn!¡± Qu Shao was spooked. As the elevator door slowly closed, he grabbed Ven Olle¡¯s arm. ¡°Have you tried this before?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°What¡¯s upstairs?¡± ¡°Everything you can imagine.¡± In order to give them a ¡®perfect¡¯ experience, Wen-Ay had no intention of revealing anything. There was a rattle of boards. Lin Jiao was so scared that her palms were sweating. She could not stand this oppressive atmosphere. When the elevator continued to rise, she hid in Pei Zhi¡¯s arms. ¡°Uncle, I¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡ª¡± The sudden fall of the elevator made the unprepared tourists scream. Pei Zhi quickly grabbed the wooden railing and pulled her into his arms. He whispered into her ear, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Lin Jiao was overwhelmed by a sense of weightlessness. Her mind was buzzing and she did not hear him clearly. She hugged his waist, unwilling to let go no matter what. As the elevator stopped falling and rose again, her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Uncle, will it fall again?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± As soon as Pei Zhi finished speaking, she held him tighter. He lowered his eyes and looked at that face that was frightened pale. He patted her back gently. Before he could say anything to put her at ease, he heard a creaking sound. In less than two seconds, the elevator fell again, followed by incessant screams from the participants, among whom Qu Shao was the loudest. When they returned to the first floor and left the small and ustrophobic environment, he said in a hoarse voice, ¡°No, my legs are numb.¡± Ven Olle held him and asked, ¡°is it that scary?¡± ¡°It is!¡± Qu Shao scolded him angrily with trembling legs, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was a haunted house? Why is there a jumper?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find it exciting?¡± ¡°Exciting my ass! I don¡¯t want to y anymore.¡± ¡°Coward.¡± When Ven Olle scolded him, Pei Zhi had already squatted down. He carried the frightened Lin Jiao and walked out of the hotel. ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re strangling me.¡± Even though his neck was ufortable, his voice was still gentle. Lin Jiao came back to her senses and let go of him. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± She leaned on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder and looked back with lingering fear. ¡°Are you still scared?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scared now.¡± Pei Zhi carried her to an ice cream shop. He bent his knees to put her down and bought a few bottles of drinks to sit with them. ¡°What are we going to y next?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a roller coaster over there.¡± Afraid that they wouldn¡¯t dare, Ven Olle started to make things up again. ¡°It¡¯s a child¡¯s toy, not scary at all.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± ¡°Serious.¡± He pointed at the children in front of him with a serious expression. ¡°They¡¯re all heading there for the roller coaster.¡± Qu Shao was skeptical. He could not understand the words on the sign, so he could only ask Pei Zhi, ¡°Boss, what does it say?¡± ¡°Rock and roll roller coaster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pei Zhi took two sips of water. Seeing that Lin Jiao was more epting of roller coasters than the haunted house, he held her hand and went to line up. This time, he tried to take the initiative to hold her hand. He sat on the roller coaster, fastened his seatbelt, and reached out his left hand to gently hold hers. ¡°This wind is quitefortable.¡± Qu Shao, who was sitting in the front seat, smiled as he weed the breeze. Ven Olle held his arm and raised it. Seeing that Qu Shao still did not know what wasing, he tried his best to hold back hisughter. ¡°It¡¯ll be morefortable going downhill.¡± ¡°What downhill?¡± ¡°Look ahead.¡± Qu Shao¡¯s face froze for half a second. The moment the roller coaster dived down, his throat seemed to be stuck. Even his screams were intermittent. Lin Jiao, who was also screaming, straightened her back and looked in Pei Zhi¡¯s direction, as if she could only feel safe by looking at him. She called him ¡®Uncle¡¯ over and over again. Pei Zhi¡¯s body was so soft that even all he could hear now was her whispers. After trying a few rides in a row, the desire he had been suppressing deep down in his heart almost burst out. Fortunately, Disnend did not have any thrilling rides. Otherwise, he would have covered her mouth with his and stopped her from shouting. ¡°Uncle, help me take a photo.¡± Lin Jiao stood at a spot where there were fewer tourists and had her back facing the pink Sleeping Beauty Castle. This time, Pei Zhi found a right angle. He half-squatted and put her upper body and the castle on the screen. He kept pressing the camera button to take more shots for her to choose from After bing more skilled, he took the initiative to choose a spot for her and took nearly 50 photos with different backgrounds. ¡°Do you want to see the seven dwarfs?¡± Pei Zhi stopped in front of Snow White¡¯s park. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go over and line up.¡± When Lin Jiao was queuing up with him, she asked, ¡°Where are Brother Qu and the others?¡± ¡°They went to Pinhio park.¡± ¡°The Pinhio from the Adventures of Pinhio?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi pinched her fake rabbit ears and said, ¡°Let¡¯s buy two more of this when we go back.¡± ¡°Why are you buying so many?¡± ¡°So that you can wear it in the future.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at him. ¡°I can¡¯t wear this. People willugh at me.¡± WIth her slightly charming eyes and innocent eyesbined, she looked especially beautiful. The moment Pei Zhi met her eyes, he suddenly had a despicable thought. He wanted to see her cry. He wanted to hear her beg for mercy. Chapter 87 - 87 He Only Wanted to Be Her Knight 87 He Only Wanted to Be Her Knight Pei Zhi let out a breath and said with a mysterious smile, ¡°Wear it at home.¡± Without giving her a chance to ask further, he held her hand and walked from the castle into the path filled with flowers. In the dense forest, a faint sound came from a brown courtyard surrounded by flowers. The wooden window was pushed open by a snow-white hand. The princess, who was leaning against the window sill, looked in the direction the sun was shining. Lin Jiao was amazed by her beauty. She waited for the tourists in front to finish taking photos with the princess before taking out her phone from her bag. ¡°Uncle, stand on her left.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna take a photo.¡± ¡°Just one.¡± She tugged at his sleeve and walked towards the window. ¡°You¡¯ve never taken a photo with a princess.¡± Pei Zhi could only listen to her. He looked at the camera expressionlessly and smiled faintly at her signal. ¡°You look like a prince.¡± Lin Jiao raised her phone and showed him the photo. ¡°You look good with her too.¡± Pei Zhi stared at her. ¡°I¡¯m not her prince.¡± He only wanted to be her knight. ¡°I said ¡®like.''¡± She looked at the seven dwarves carrying hoes and sickles, then stuffed her phone into his hand and asked him to take a photo of her. After touring the entire park, they rode the carousel and jet coaster nearby. They waited until it was dark before meeting Qu Shao to eat ice cream and enjoy the fireworks. On the way back to the hotel, Lin Jiao was so tired that she fell asleep. Shey on Pei Zhi¡¯sp, her slender hand still in his, as if she wanted to hold his hand until the end of time. He stroked her long hair and carried her all the way back to the room when Ven Olle parked the car. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll just put things on the table.¡± Qu Shao yawned and put down two shopping bags. Pei Zhi replied, ¡°Rest early.¡± When the door closed, he walked into the bedroom with the makeup remover and wiped the cotton swab on her eye like she had done before. ¡°It¡¯s so cold.¡± Lin Jiao frowned. She muttered and lifted up her sweater without giving him a chance to react and took out something that was making her unable to breathe. Pei Zhi was caught off guard by the whitecy bras. With trembling fingers, he tucked her under a nket. His racing heartbeat could be heard in the quiet room. He took a deep breath and tried to stay calm. However, Lin Jiao, who was lying on the bed, kicked the nket away and did not even give him a chance to calm down. When he saw her figure again, Pei Zhi¡¯s remaining rationality was like a string that was about to break. He covered her with the nket again and pressed his hands against her side. ¡°Jiaojiao, don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°Tight¡­¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± Lin Jiao repeated the word ¡®tight¡¯ in a daze. Her lips moved, as if she was tempting him to lower his head and stop her mumbling. Even a gentleman could not stand such temptation. Not to mention Pei Zhi, who did not want to be a gentleman anymore. He leaned over slightly. When he felt the softness that he had been thinking about day and night, his dark eyes darkened. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± After not getting a response for a long time, he quietly left the bedroom with a satisfied smile. # Charles de Gaulle Airport was packed. Ven Olle pushed their luggage and sent them to the door of the VIP waiting room. ¡°Remember to call me the next time youe.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Qu Shao put his arm around his shoulder. Although they often bickered with each other, they had built a friendship after spending six days together. He patted Ven Olle¡¯s back and smiled sincerely. ¡°If you have the chance toe to Lin City, I¡¯ll definitely show you around.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Ven Olle leaned over to hug Pei Zhi. When it came to Lin Jiao, he chose to shake hands with her. He said meaningfully, ¡°I wish you happiness.¡± Lin Jiao was slightly stunned, but she did not think too much about it. ¡°Thank you.¡± She looked up and met a pair of smiling eyes. ¡°You have to be happy too.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Ven Olle turned to leave. Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and walked into the waiting hall. They did not notice that someone was secretly taking photos of them in the corner. Qian Yongjun stared at the photo for a long time. He hesitated for a moment before making a call. ¡°Brother Quan, what are you doing now?¡± There was a seven-hour time difference between China and Paris. Gu Quan¡¯s nightlife had just begun. He pushed open the door of the private room and found a quiet ce to chat with his old mate. ¡°I¡¯m drinking with He Qi and the others.¡± ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Pretty good.¡± Qian Yongjun chatted with him for a while before changing the topic. ¡°I think you are cheated on.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Really! I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Gu Quan suspected that he had seen the wrong person. He was quite calm. ¡°Where did you see it?¡± ¡°De Gaulle Airport.¡± ¡°Paris?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qian Yongjun described the scene just now. ¡°She was pulled into the lounge by that man. She¡¯s probably returning to the country today.¡± Gu Quan paused in the middle of lighting a cigarette. Only then did he realize that they were not talking about the same person. ¡°Are you talking about Jiaojiao?¡± ¡°Who else?¡± ¡°I broke up with her.¡± The moment he mentioned the words ¡®broke up,¡¯ his tone changed. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± Qian Yongjun widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°July.¡± ¡°No wonder¡­ I even took a photo of them.¡± Gu Quan frowned. ¡°Send it to me.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Qian Yongjun tapped on the screen and sent it to him on WeChat. ¡°Are you guys free tomorrow night? Do you want toe out for a gathering?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow afternoon.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Quan hung up first. He zoomed in on the photo and stared at the hand holding her hand for a long time. An indescribable frustration welled up in his heart, making him sit alone in the corner and drink in silence. ¡°Brother Quan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± He Qi put down the cards and walked over when he noticed something was wrong with Gu Quan. ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Did you quarrel with Su Tian?¡± Gu Quan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m just a little thirsty.¡± He rubbed his eyebrows and tried to y dice to divert his attention. He Qi yed dice with him. ¡°How many sses for each round you lose?¡± Chapter 88 - 88 Gu Quan Called Her Jiaojiao When He Was Drunk 88 Gu Quan Called Her Jiaojiao When He Was Drunk ¡°Two sses.¡± Even if Gu Quan won, he still drank, as if he was determined to get stoned tonight. After Song Zhen finished singing a few songs with the pretty chicks, he copsed on the sofa. ¡°Are you twopeting in drinking? Why did you drink so much?¡± ¡°Brother Quan wants to drink.¡± He Qi¡¯s face was all red from the effects of the wine. He kicked away the empty wine bottle on the table. He was so tired that he just wanted to lie down. ¡°Help me get a room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only eleven o¡¯clock and you¡¯re already sleeping?¡± ¡°I¡¯m too sleepy.¡± Song Zhen found two friends and asked them to carry him to the hotel next door to prevent him from catching a cold. He sat beside Gu Quan and patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Are you still in the mood to drink?¡± Gu Quan nced at him and finished the wine in his ss. He leaned back and looked at the colorful lights on the ceiling, his thoughts chaotic. The voices around him were like mosquitoes buzzing in his ears, making him dizzy. In just a moment, he had the urge to leave. ¡°I¡¯ll go back first.¡± ¡°Can you go back alone? I¡¯ll get Su Tian to pick you up.¡± ¡°No need.¡± He stood up and slowly put on his jacket before walking out. Song Zhen followed worriedly. Holding Gu Quan¡¯s arm, he walked to the door of Bo Yu Club and called for a designated driver. ¡°Tell me when you get home.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Gu Quan rubbed his eyebrows. He opened the back window to get some air, but he only felt drunker. When he returned to Lufu Bay, his eyes were totally unfocused. ¡°Why did you drink so much?¡± Su Tian, who had received Song Zhen¡¯s call, waited for him at the door. She raised his right arm and ced it on her shoulder. She hugged his waist and walked upstairs. ¡°I didn¡¯t drink too much.¡± Gu Quan walked into the bedroom before remembering to answer her question. The smell of alcohol on him made Su Tian blush. She looked up at him and deliberately tripped over the moment he fell onto the bed. ¡°Quan,¡± she called out to him softly. Gu Quan opened his eyes with difficulty. He looked at her for a long time, then subconsciously tightened his grip on her shoulder. ¡°Do you want to kiss me?¡± Su Tian raised her chin and rubbed it against his ear. Her charming voice made Gu Quan, who was not in his right mind, fall for her. He turned his head and kissed her red lips. The ambiguous atmosphere was about to induce Gu Quan to do something when she suddenly pushed him away. ¡°Give me a minute.¡± Su Tian returned to her room and found the red ink that had not been used yet. She ced the ink bottle on the bedside table and held his hand close to her back. ¡°Quan, can you help me unbutton it?¡± Gu Quan narrowed his eyes, exhausted. He lowered his hand to touch his dry throat and kissed her lips again. ¡°Jiaojiao, get me a ss of water.¡± ¡°What did you call me?¡± Su Tian¡¯s mind went nk. She straightened up and asked again while staring at his face, afraid that she would miss a word. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Gu Quan held her hand and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her cheek gently. ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t throw a tantrum.¡± Su Tian was trembling with anger. Even though she could not see the emotions in his eyes, she could clearly feel his feelings at this moment. She got out of bed with red eyes. Unable to ept being treated as someone else, she took the bottle of red ink and mmed the door. ¡°Jiaojiao¡­¡± He went on muttering. ¡°I¡¯m not her!¡± Su Tian roared at the white wall that isted them. She swept away the bottles on the dressing table in a fit of anger. She only calmed down when the ss shards hit her ankle and cut her skin. After a long time, she went downstairs to pour a ss of warm water and pushed open the door next door. ¡°Quan, I brought you water.¡± Gu Quan was about to fall asleep. He was helped up and leaned against the bed to drink half a ss of water. ¡°Jiaojiao, good night.¡± He looked at her again and closed his eyes to fall asleep. Su Tian tightened her grip on the ss. She suddenlyughed, the ruthlessness in her eyes terrifying under the night light. ¡°Jiaojiao, It¡¯s time I settle the scores with you,¡± she put down the ss and said to herself. # At noon on the day of work. Pei Yn carried the thermos to the nning department. She sent Lin Jiao a WeChat message and walked straight to the resting area. Looking out the window and facing the warm sun, she revealed a happy smile. ¡°What are you smiling foolishly at?¡± Lin Jiao happened to catch the smile on her face when she came over. ¡°This is called a sweet smile, okay?¡± ¡°How sweet?¡± ¡°Especially sweet.¡± Pei Yn opened one of the thermos containers and pushed it in front of her. ¡°We hugged many times when we were skiing.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that normal?¡± Lin Jiao scooped up a spoonful of rice. ¡°Wrestlers hug each other too when they are wrestling.¡± ¡°But we¡¯re not wrestlers.¡± Pei Yn recalled the scene and smiled even more brightly. ¡°Other than hugging?¡± ¡°They even held hands.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and teased, ¡°Didn¡¯t you find a chance to kiss him secretly?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°How you failed?¡± Pei Yn nodded. ¡°That¡¯s my only regret.¡± If she had kissed him, she would probably be jumping around joyfully. ¡°Anyway, if you n to chase him for a year, you¡¯ll definitely get a chance to get what you want.¡± ¡°I should be able to get it this week.¡± ¡°Are you guys going out to y again?¡± Lin Jiao clicked on the message that popped up on the screen. When she saw that it was from Yan Jingshun, she lost interest. She replied ¡°I¡¯m eating¡± curtly before checking if Pei Zhi had replied to her. Seeing that he still hadn¡¯t replied to her message, she was silent for two seconds before turning off the screen. ¡°He¡¯s going to join the film crew the day after tomorrow.¡± Pei Yn said, ¡°I n to kiss him when I go visit him.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of scaring him away?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t foreigners always kiss each other on the cheek when they meet?¡± At the mention of foreigners, Lin Jiao recalled Ven Olle¡¯s expression when he found out that she had never kissed anyone. She suddenly asked, ¡°What does it feel like to kiss?¡± ¡°It depends on who you kiss.¡± Pei Yn took two sips of pork trotter soup. ¡°When I was in a rtionship with my ex-boyfriend, I found it very strange when he leaned towards me.¡± ¡°Then why did you kiss him?¡± ¡°I wanted to try that feeling.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t like him, so I can¡¯t stand it after trying it once.¡± Lin Jiao asked, ¡°I heard from others that kissing is sweeter than eating candy.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never tried it before. I¡¯m not sure.¡± The more Pei Yn looked at her, the more she felt that something was not right. She looked puzzled. ¡°Why do you want to kiss aftering back? Did Yan Jingshun say something to you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao was calm when she heard her mention Yan Jingshun. ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± Chapter 89 - 89 Determined to Confess 89 Determined to Confess Pei Yn looked at that pair of innocent eyes and did not think too much about it. ¡°I¡¯m curious too.¡± ¡°You can try it soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to say.¡± She really had no confidence in securing a kiss with him. ¡°Let me ask Qian Yue first.¡± Lin Jiao did not stop her. ¡°Yn, did you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn replied quickly. She turned up the volume and moved the chair to Lin Jiao¡¯s side, asking bluntly, ¡°What does it feel like to kiss?¡± ¡°You¡¯re horny?¡± ¡°What do you say? I¡¯ve been single for months. Jiaojiao wants to know what it feels like. Tell us about it.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. Before she could exin, Qian Yue said withughter, ¡°Jiaojiao, have you found a new lover?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then do you have a crush on someone?¡± Lin Jiao hesitated for some reason. ¡°No.¡± The fact that Lin Jiao took a short pause made Qian Yue realize that there was definitely something unusual going on, but she did not ask further because she could not see her expression. She replied, ¡°Kissing feels like an electric shock. It makes your entire body numb and your legs go weak.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Then you wanted to do something special.¡± Pei Yn was inexplicably excited. ¡°Will the feeling be the same no matter who we kiss?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qian Yue put down the pen in her hand. ¡°You only feel this way when you kiss the person you like.¡± ¡°How many times have you had this feeling?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t remember.¡± Pei Yn cried with envy. ¡°Do you kiss your other half every day?¡± ¡°I¡¯m single now.¡± ¡°You broke up again?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal to break up?¡± Qian Yue heard someone knocking on the door and did not want to talk anymore. She walked over. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you when I get back. I have work to do now.¡± ¡°When¡¯s your flight?¡± ¡°Twentieth.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn hung up. She talked to Lin Jiao in detail about the feeling of their legs going weak when kissing. Lin Jiao blushed the more she heard it. ¡°I¡¯m going back to rest.¡± She ended the topic first. Pei Yn yawned and nodded. When she said goodbye to her at the elevator, she asked, ¡°Jiaojiao, are we still having pork trotter soup tomorrow?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink it anymore.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s eat outside?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao walked to her desk. She wrapped herself in an afternoon nket and leaned against the pillow. Just as she set the rm, a WeChat message popped up. Pei Zhi: ¡°Jiaojiao, I was discussing a project with my partner just now and forgot to bring my phone.¡± Lin Jiao had expected this. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She rested her chin on the pillow and typed, ¡°What do you n to eat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Pei Zhi took two sips of water. ¡°I¡¯ll get Qu Shao to go downstairs and buy something.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t drink coffee. Rest after eating.¡± ¡°Are you taking an afternoon nap?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± After receiving his reply, Lin Jiao sent another message. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when I wake up. Cute cat.jpg.¡± Pei Zhi wanted tough when he saw that emoji. He leaned against the seat and looked at the chat history a few times. At this moment, his desire to confess to her became even stronger. ¡°Boss, meal is here.¡± Qu Shao came in with two bags and felt a chill run down his spine when Pei Zhi shot him a look. He asked carefully, ¡°Is there anything you want me to do?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi pushed aside the stic bag. He couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°I n to confess this Saturday. Help me book a suitable venue first.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Qu Shao grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll go handle it immediately.¡± He took two steps before stopping. ¡°Do you want roses? How many do you want?¡± ¡°Ny-nine.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that too few? In movies, when rich people confess, they always have an ocean of roses.¡± ¡°That¡¯s in movies.¡± If he bought so many flowers, he would probably be taught a lesson by Lin Jiao for being unnecessarily extravagant. Qu Shao asked again, ¡°How many flowers per bouquet?¡± ¡°Ny-nine.¡± Pei Zhi tore open the wrapper of the disposable chopsticks. ¡°And prepare some candles and balloons.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all for now.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao quickly went to do it. Before he got off work, he booked the venue and asked, ¡°Boss, who do you want to inform?¡± ¡°Zhou Yanshen and the others.¡± ¡°Including Miss Pei?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pei Zhi put on his jacket and went downstairs to meet his sweetheart. Lin Jiao, who was five minutes slower than him, jogged from the elevator to the Mercedes. She told him the good news immediately, ¡°The proposal I submittedst month has been chosen.¡± ¡°Awesome.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Get in first.¡± He opened the passenger door, waited for her to get in before walking around to the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Are you involved in the new project for next season?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± Lin Jiao nodded confidently and leaned back. She could easily reach out to fasten the seatbelt, but she got used to waiting for him to do it for her. ¡°Uncle, where are we eating tonight?¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Home-cooked food.¡± Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. ¡°Alright.¡± He helped her put on her seatbelt and stepped on the elerator. ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± Lin Jiao smiled sweetly. She took out her phone and looked at the string of unfamiliar numbers. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Hello, my name is Yu Xuan.¡± Yu Xuan didn¡¯t want to appear too eager, so she waited for a couple of days before deciding to make this call. She knew that Lin Jiao did not remember her, so she reminded her, ¡°We met at Star River.¡± Lin Jiao thought of that innocent assistant. She did not know what Yu Xuan was up to, but she was still polite. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Yu Xuan guessed that people like Lin Jiao did not like to beat around the bush and said directly, ¡°I just want to be friends with you.¡± ¡°Because of Zhou Yanshen?¡± ¡°Part of it is because of him.¡± Lin Jiao roughly understood. Her tone changed slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I won¡¯t interfere in his rtionship.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Yu Xuan seemed to have a passionate crush on Zhou Yanshen. At the mention of his name, she was both happy and sad. She sobbed. ¡°I just want to spend more time with him. Even if he doesn¡¯t choose me in the end, it¡¯s worth it.¡± Lin Jiao felt a headacheing on. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Yu Xuan cried even harder.¡± Can you help me? ¡± ¡°How can I help you?¡± ¡°Next time youe to Star River, can you invite me to eat with you? This is all I ask for.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡± Lin Jiao hung up after making up an excuse. She took a deep breath. As she waited for the light to turn green, her frown was gently smoothed away by a hand. ¡°Don¡¯t frown.¡± When Pei Zhi looked at her, his gaze was so gentle that it could wipe away all her frustration. Lin Jiao felt a little better. She asked, ¡°Did you hear everything?¡± Chapter 90 - 90 He Intruded on Her Dream Again 90 He Intruded on Her Dream Again ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it clearly.¡± Pei Zhi only knew that the person who called her was crying. ¡°Is she Yanshen¡¯s suitor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao summarized the conversation. She looked at his side profile. ¡°Do you think she really likes Brother Yanshen or does she want to use him to climb up the socialdder?¡± ¡°That depends.¡± Pei Zhi did not want to generalize people. ¡°You¡¯ll only know when you see her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± It was indeed impossible to judge a person¡¯s feelings and thoughts with just a few words. Lin Jiao waited for the car to stop at the entrance of the market and followed him in to buy groceries. The mottled light cast by the tree shadows elongated as they walked. When the afterglow and moonlight changed shifts, a cold light shone on their smiles through the curtains. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you free on Saturday?¡± Pei Zhi asked her before leaving. ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Then do you want toe?¡± ¡°With Brother Yanshen and the others?¡± Lin Jiao sent him to the entrance and looked up into his eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi suddenly felt a little nervous. He looked away, ced his palm on the doorknob, and pressed it down. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Lin Jiao watched him leave. She went into the bathroom to wash up. After receiving his WeChat message, saying that he had arrived home, she hugged the nket and fell asleep. Perhaps because it had been too long since shest dreamed, the dream she had that night was wilder than previous ones. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± The man in the CEO¡¯s office saw her walking over and reached out to pull her into his arms. He rubbed her waist, his eyes dark and slightly devilish. ¡°Do you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She grabbed his cor and pulled him forward, kissing him on the chin. Her teasing action made him want to seal her lips and taste her body. A taste even sweeter than candy¡¯s spread in her mouth. She copsed into his arms and fumbled for the buttons of his shirt with her fingertips. ¡°Don¡¯t be naughty.¡± He seemed to have seen through her intentions and raised his chin at the door. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s continue when we get back home, be good.¡± She did not want to be good. She put one hand on his neck and whispered into his ear, ¡°Do you not love me anymore?¡± ¡°Why would I not love you?¡± ¡°Then why did you push me away?¡± He held the hand that was groping all over his body, his eyes even darker than before. He said in a voice deeper than the ocean, ¡°Be good.¡± ¡°No.¡± She was still causing trouble like a brat who would not stop until she was tortured. He couldn¡¯t control himself anymore. He swept everything on the desk to the floor and lifted her up on it. What followed that was non-stop passionate kissing. She held the tie she had given him as a gift and gradually felt her body go numb and her legs go weak. ¡°Hubby¡­¡± A strong sense of joy overwhelmed her. However, Lin Jiao was woken up by her own voice. She took a few deep breaths and hammered the bed in embarrassment. ¡°Dirty-minded!¡± She scolded herself as she rolled on the bed, no longer sleepy. It was not until the rm rang at eight that she left the terrifying bed with dark circles under her eyes. When she got into the car, Pei Zhi reached out to touch her eyes. He raised an eyebrow and smiled. ¡°Dreamt again?¡± As soon as his voice entered her ears, Lin Jiao remembered the vivid dream again. ¡°No.¡± Seeing that she was avoiding eye contact and blushing, Pei Zhi was stunned. He observed her expression and concluded that the dream this time was rted to him. However, he could not guess what he had done to her in the dream. ¡°Stop looking at me. Hurry up and drive.¡± Lin Jiao red at him and lowered her head to eat the breakfast he had bought. Pei Zhi wanted tough but did not. He stepped on the elerator as he was told. In order not to make her feel ufortable, he changed the topic. ¡°My dad wants us to go to his ce.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He probably wants to ask about your grandfather.¡± Lin Jiao puffed up her cheeks. ¡°What about specifically?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± He waited for the light to turn green and steered left. ¡°I heard him say they haven¡¯t seen each other in fifteen years.¡± ¡°That long?¡± ¡°Yes, I think there¡¯s a story.¡± Lin Jiao pondered for a moment. ¡°Then go over this weekend.¡± She was quite interested in hearing their story. ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi drove the car into the parking lot. They chatted all the way to the elevator. When the door opened, they tacitly stopped talking. Before leaving, Lin Jiao exchanged nces with him and walked slowly towards the nning department. She sat at her desk toplete the new proposal. When it was almost noon, a WeChat message popped up. Yan Jingshun: ¡°I happen to be near Sheng Heng Corp. Shall we eat together? /Picture.¡± Seeing that he had sent a photo of the lounge in Sheng Heng, Lin Jiao did not even have the chance to refuse. She sent Pei Yn a WeChat message and went downstairs to see him. ¡°Lin Jiao.¡± A clear voice came from the right. She turned around and saw a handsome man in a ck coat running in her direction. Yan Jingshun looked very good. With his outgoing personality and mature temperament, it was easy for others to like him. He smiled and looked at her face, a look of surprise shing across his face. ¡°There¡¯s a Japanese restaurant nearby. Let¡¯s go over and try it?¡± ¡°You made a reservation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Why did he have to ask her if he already made a reservation? Lin Jiao had no choice but to follow him. She rarely spoke to strangers, but Yan Jingshun knew how to find a topic to talk about. ¡°Have you been working at Sheng Heng for a long time?¡± ¡°Less than three months.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Lin Jiao did not want to keep answering. She asked him, ¡°How many years have you been abroad?¡± ¡°About four years.¡± ¡°Are you used to living there?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Yan Jingshun put his hands in his pockets and kept a distance from her. ¡°I missed home a lot.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal to miss home.¡± Lin Jiao listened to him talk about life abroad as she walked towards the Japanese restaurant. Fortunately, the journey was not long. Otherwise, she would be bored to death. ¡°Take a look at the menu.¡± After Yan Jingshun sat down opposite her, he handed her one of the menus. Lin Jiao was not interested in Japanese cuisine. However, she had no choice but to turn to the first page and slowly read on. ¡°I want¡ª¡± ¡°Help us get two bottles of soda.¡± Yan Jingshun looked up at the waiter. ¡°Also foie gras caviar, salmon sashimi, sea urchin, and salt-roasted ox tongue.¡± Lin Jiao silently closed the menu. She picked up the ss by the table and took two sips of lemonade water. ¡°Lin Jiao, what else do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Serve these first.¡± Yan Jingshun handed the menu to the waiter and asked, ¡°Have you been to this restaurant before?¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°This is the first time.¡± Chapter 91 - 91 Promise Me We Won’t Become Strangers 91 Promise Me We Won¡¯t Be Strangers thought of asking for my opinion from the beginning, including this meeting.¡± Facing such a ¡®love rival¡¯, Pei Zhi couldn¡¯t be bothered to be jealous. He said calmly, ¡°Given his personality, he¡¯s not suitable for you.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°Are you still hungry? I¡¯ll order takeout for you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry now.¡± Lin Jiao took off her high heels and changed into the slippers he had prepared for her. ¡°I¡¯ll go in and sleep for a while.¡± Pei Zhi followed her into the lounge. He covered her with the nket and ced the thermos on the round table beside her so that she could drink when she woke up. ¡°Should I call you five minutes before lunch break finishes?¡± ¡°Three minutes.¡± Lin Jiao wanted to stick to the bed. She wrapped herself in the nket and turned overzily. ¡°See youter, Uncle.¡± ¡°See you.¡± Pei Zhi closed the door. He returned to his desk and ordered two boxes of desserts for her. When she woke up, the takeout had just arrived. Lin Jiao ran downstairs with the boxes. From then on, she would go to his lounge to sleep at noon every day for an entire week. On Friday, when Pei Zhi drove her home, he was already nervous. He nced at her and tightened and rxed his grip on the steering wheel. ¡°Jiaojiao, I can¡¯t pick you up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Are you still going to the gathering in the evening?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± How could he confess if he didn¡¯t go? Lin Jiao did not catch the emotions in his eyes. As usual, she stood outside the door and smiled at him. ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi stopped her before she could turn around. He thought for a moment and mustered up the courage to say, ¡°No matter what happens, promise me we won¡¯t be strangers, okay?¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Lin Jiao bent down and looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Nothing.¡± Pei Zhi was not sure if she would ept his feelings and was eager to leave a way out. He met her gaze. ¡°Answer me first.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Under his expectant gaze, Lin Jiao said word by word, ¡°No matter what happens, we won¡¯t be strangers.¡± ¡°Remember this.¡± Pei Zhi gulped, ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡± Lin Jiao did not know why he was so strange, but she still replied seriously, ¡°I won¡¯t go back on my word.¡± Pei Zhi heaved a sigh of relief after getting her promise. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao looked in the direction where the car disappeared. She walked along the stone path to the building. Before she could enter, she was stopped by a female voice. ¡°Miss Lin.¡± Su Tian looked at that beautiful face and felt consumed by jealousy. She clenched her fists and smiled innocently. ¡°Do you have time to talk to me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll keeping until you have time. How does that sound?¡± Lin Jiao did not expect her to be so persistent. She rubbed the strap of her handbag and said calmly, ¡°What do you wanna say?¡± ¡°It might not be convenient to talk here.¡± Su Tian raised her chin at the residentsing in and out. ¡°Can we please find somewhere else?¡± Lin Jiao followed her to a nearby cafe. She sat at the square table and casually looked at the furnishings in the private room, looking like she didn¡¯t intend to speak first. She had the patience to wait, but Su Tian did not. ¡°Miss Lin.¡± She looked into Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes and pretended to be friendly. ¡°You¡¯ve broken up with Quan for a while, right?¡± Chapter 92 - 92 An Accident, Trying to Cover It Up 92 An ident, Trying to Cover It Up ¡°Why?¡± Lin Jiao picked up the coffee pot. She poured herself a cup of coffee. ¡°Are you still angry about the fact that I¡¯m his ex?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point ofing to find me?¡± ¡°I want topensate you.¡± Su Tian took out a check worth two million from her bag and pushed it in front of her. She put on a condescending attitude. ¡°It¡¯s been really hard on you taking care of Quan for me over the years.¡± ¡°I should be the one saying that.¡± Lin Jiaoughed instead of ring up. ¡°After all, when I was in love with him, you couldn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°If I came back earlier, you would have broken up long ago. Do you really think he loves you?¡± ¡°Indeed, he doesn¡¯t love me, but he always gave me much more than two million to spend.¡± These words angered Su Tian so much that she clenched her fists. She knew that Gu Quan had given her a few cards before, but she did not know there was so much in the cards. ¡°So what?¡± After taking a few breaths, she calmed herself. ¡°I¡¯m different from you. I don¡¯t love his money but him.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to emphasize it to me.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°It¡¯s not my concern what the truth is.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not your concern, why do you keep showing up?¡± ¡°Miss Su, I made myself clear from the beginning. Are you sure you¡¯re not the one who keeps showing up?¡± ¡°Do I have to? Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m Quan¡¯s girlfriend, not you!¡± ¡°What does it have to do with me whether you are his girlfriend or not? I don¡¯t like him. It won¡¯t change a thing even if you tell me.¡± Su Tian looked at her overly calm expression and realized that she had been led by the nose. She did not like this feeling and did not intend to talk nonsense with her anymore. ¡°Take the check and disappear from our sight in the future.¡± Lin Jiao opened her wallet unhurriedly. ¡°I should be the one saying that.¡± She took out a dozen 100 CYN and ced them on the table. ¡°You¡­¡± Su Tian saw He Qi through the slightly open door and quickly restrained her ferocious expression. She stood up and walked to Lin Jiao¡¯s side, her voice suddenly choked up. ¡°Miss Lin, do you have to humiliate me with money?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Lin Jiao was not interested in watching her put on a show. She picked up the bag and was about to leave. Su Tian grabbed her wrist without warning. ¡°I know you hate me.¡± She was about to cry. ¡°But Quan is my everything. Can you not snatch him away?¡± ¡°You really should see a psychiatrist.¡± Lin Jiao nced at her red eyes impatiently. Just as she was about to push Su Tian¡¯s hand away, Su Tian fell onto the cushion beside her on her own ord. A series of sobs and cries sounded at the same time. He Qi ran forward angrily. When that face he was disgusted with the most turned around, he gave Lin Jiao an all-out push. ¡°Bang¡ª¡± Caught off guard, Lin Jiao fell backwards. Before she could find a foothold, the back of her head hit the corner of the table. She fell against the wall, her trembling eyelids gradually drooping. In a few seconds, she lost consciousness. ¡°Blood¡­¡± Su Tian stared at the wall that was stained with a few drops of blood and was so frightened that her voice was trembling. She grabbed He Qi, who was still in a daze. ¡°Why did you push her? What if she dies?!¡±4 He Qi panicked. He walked over in a hurry to check her breathing. Only when he found that Lin Jiao was still breathing did he feel relieved. ¡°Not dead. Still breathing.¡± ¡°Then hurry up and send her to the hospital!¡± Su Tian did not want anything to happen to Lin Jiao, nor could she bear the consequences. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to do it.¡± He Qi called the driver who was waiting outside. He held Su Tian¡¯s shoulders and made up his mind to protect her. ¡°This has nothing to do with you. If the policee looking for you, push the me to me. Don¡¯t say anything stupid, okay?¡± Su Tian¡¯s eyes flickered. She threw herself into his arms in fear. ¡°But there are surveince cameras here. I¡¯m so afraid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll handle the cameras.¡± With her in his arms, He Qi could no longer resist the urge to hug back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You got me.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Su Tian said softly. She watched as the driver carried Lin Jiao out of the cafe, then followed He Qi to deal with the surveince cameras. They did not feel guilty or worried. All they could think about was how to escape unscathed and how to perfectly cover up this ident. # Tongji Hospital. ¡°Please make way!¡± A few nurses pushed the gurney towards the emergency department. The anxious voice attracted Shen Yi, who had just finished an operation and was about to go home to sleep. He looked to his right. When he identally caught sight of that familiar face, his mind went nk for a second. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the patient?¡± Shen Yi put the car keys back in his pocket and followed them. ¡°Bleeding from the back of the head caused her to faint.¡± ¡°What¡¯s her heart rate?¡± One of the nurses looked down at the heart rate monitor the patient was wearing. ¡°Eighty-seven.¡± Shen Yi heaved a sigh of relief. He exchanged a few words with the doctor on duty and called Pei Zhi and Zhou Yanshen. Pei Zhi was the first to rush to the hospital, still wearing a pair of slippers. ¡°How is she?¡± He panted, his grip on Shen Yi¡¯s arm tightening. ¡°Still in the middle of having the wound sutured.¡± Shen Yi dragged him to a chair and helped him sit down. He told him in an easy-to-understand way, ¡°She didn¡¯t bleed much. There¡¯s no need for a craniotomy.¡± ¡°What about other ces?¡± ¡°At the moment, we only found bruises on her elbow and right shoulder. She must have been injured when she fainted.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s hands were still trembling. He looked at the door of the emergency department without blinking. His heart felt like it was being strangled by a rope, making it difficult for him to even breathe. Shen Yi was also paying attention to the door. When he saw the nurse pushing the gurney out, he transferred her to the inpatient ward with Pei Zhi. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He put his hand on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°In half an hour, she¡¯ll be able to¡­¡± A loud bang interrupted him. Zhou Yanshen knocked open the door. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked at the pale Lin Jiao. ¡°What happened?¡± Shen Yi repeated her condition. He pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how she fainted and injured the back of her head. The person who sent her here has already left.¡± ¡°Male or female?¡± ¡°I heard from the nurse that it¡¯s a middle-aged man.¡± ¡°A middle-aged man? Could he be her neighbor?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi wet a cotton swab and gently wiped her lips. ¡°Her neighbors are an old couple in their seventies.¡± ¡°Could he be their son?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao didn¡¯t go home at all.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± Zhou Yanshen took the towel from Shen Yi and wiped his face. ¡°She didn¡¯t change into pajamas, and her bag is still with her too.¡± Pei Zhi threw her bag to Zhou Yanshen with a cold expression. ¡°Check her phone records.¡± Zhou Yanshen searched for the phone. He checked all the phone records but found nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s check the surveince cameras.¡± Chapter 93 - 93 Mistook Him As Her Lover in This Life 93 Mistook Him As Her Lover in This Life Shen Yi followed him to the surveince room. Pei Zhi, who was staying in the ward, held her fair right hand and stood by her side like a guardian. The anesthetic wore off half an hourter. Lin Jiao, who had woken up slowly, teared up when she saw the anxious face. She sobbed. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Pei Zhi leaned over in a panic. He wiped away the tears that fell from the corners of her eyes and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s safe now. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t stop crying. She ced her hand on his wrist and tried to hide in his arms like a fragile kitten. ¡°Hug me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hug.¡± A trace of confusion shed across Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes. He adjusted the height of the bed and sat back down. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao touched the gauze on her head and leaned into his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with love after crying. Pei Zhi looked at her silently. He frowned, unable to ignore the strange feeling in his heart. ¡°Jiaojiao, what did you¡­¡± A soft lips pressed against his, catching him off guard. Lin Jiao pressed her lips against his, her eyes smiling as if she was excited to kiss him. Her action really frightened Pei Zhi. He gripped the railing of the bed tightly. Before he could regain his senses and retreat, he heard a gasp. ¡°What the f*ck!¡± Shen Yi, who never cursed, couldn¡¯t help but curse. Not to mention Zhou Yanshen, who was beside him. ¡°President Pei, you hid it quite well.¡± His gaze shifted between Lin Jin and Pei Zhi. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long, but you¡¯ve already developed to this extent.¡± ¡°Not like that.¡± Pei Zhi tried to stabilize his breathing. He nced at Lin Jiao, whose ears were red, and pointed at his temple, hinting at something. After all, they had been brothers for many years. After getting the hint, their expressions suddenly became serious. ¡°I¡¯m going to call the doctor.¡± Shen Yi immediately turned around, but Zhou Yanshen was still rooted to the ground. He looked at Lin Jiao up and down like he was looking at an ape in a zoo until the doctor arrived. The head of the psychiatry department, who was called back to the hospital on his way home, appeared with a pen and paper. For the sake of confidentiality, he said, ¡°Wait outside. I¡¯ll talk to her first.¡± ¡°Can I sit in?¡± Shen Yi was worried but also curious about this case. Thinking that he had studied psychology before, the director did not intend to stop him. ¡°Then keep quiet.¡± Shen Yi knew the rules. ¡°Okay.¡± He pushed the shoulders of the two people beside him and closed the door without saying a word. Pei Zhi, who was pulled to the end of the corridor by Zhou Yanshen, sat on the chair and smoked with mixed feelings. He looked at the crescent moon, the emotions in his eyes hidden by the billowing smoke. ¡°Do you think she mistook me as Gu Quan?¡± Zhou Yanshen really could not answer this question. He ced his left hand on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t the doctor say that she will return to normal after the blood clot in her brain disappears?¡± Pei Zhi understood what he meant. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be like this.¡± The smile on his lips became more like a sad one. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to mistake me as Gu Quan.¡± It was unbearable even if it was only for a minute or a second. Zhou Yanshen sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t be too pessimistic. Let¡¯s wait for the results.¡± Pei Zhi remained silent. He counted the time in his heart, as if he was waiting for the impending death. When he heard the sound of footsteps, his feet were already surrounded by cigarette butts, and even his throat was hoarse from nicotine. ¡°President Pei, congrattions.¡± Seeing his dejected expression, Shen Yi didn¡¯t want to tease him. He sat between the two of them. ¡°You don¡¯t even have to confess. You can start dating immediately.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s back tensed. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The reason her memory is confused is that she confused dreams with reality.¡± ¡°Dreams?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shen Yi chuckled. ¡°In her memory, you¡¯re her husband in her previous life and her lover in this life.¡± After hearing him talk about the content of her dreams, Pei Zhi felt even moreplicated and was unable to calm down. He thought of her red eyes that day and did not know whether to be happy or worried. ¡°Can I tell her the truth?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Shen Yi continued, ¡°Lin Jiao doesn¡¯t feel safe now. If you break her mental state rashly, she¡¯ll easily develop self-doubt, panic, and depression, and perhaps something even worse.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked at Pei Zhi anxiously. ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you want all along? Just treat it as fostering a rtionship with her.¡± ¡°I think so too,¡± Shen Yi agreed. He knew that Pei Zhi was not ready and tried to persuade him. ¡°Lin Jiao must have you in her heart. Don¡¯t feel too pressured.¡± ¡°What makes you so sure?¡± ¡°Just the fact that she didn¡¯t dream of us bing her husband exins everything, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Pei Zhi was speechless. He actually couldn¡¯t refute that. Pei Zhi leaned back in his chair, his heart racing. ¡°How long will it take for her to recover?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°Then does she still recognize the people around her?¡± ¡°She might not recognize those whom she isn¡¯t familiar with.¡± Shen Yi blew out a puff of smoke and told him a few things to take note of. ¡°You should go in to keep herpany. After all, you are her husband from her previous life.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He stood up and walked to the door of the ward. Before cing his hand on the doorknob, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. ¡°Uncle, I want to eat cake.¡± When he sat down, Lin Jiao leaned into his arms like before. ¡°What vor?¡± ¡°Matcha.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her as he ordered cakes on the app. He showed her the screen and asked gently, ¡°What else do you want?¡± ¡°Watermelon milkshake.¡± Lin Jiao stared at his handsome face. After he was done ordering, she grabbed his cor and pulled him down. She kissed the side of his face. ¡°A reward.¡± She might as well kill him¡­ Pei Zhi tried his best to stop his beating heart from jumping out of his chest. In order to prevent her from kissing him now and then, he stroked her long hair and coaxed, ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s not good to do this in the hospital.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else here.¡± ¡°But there are surveince cameras,¡± he pointed at the vent and said in all seriousness. Lin Jiao was about to look in the direction he was pointing when he grabbed her chin. ¡°Does your head still hurt?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°Then sleep for a while.¡± Pei Zhi carefully helped her lie down. ¡°I¡¯ll wake you up when the takeout arrives.¡± ¡°Come up on the bed with me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± Lin Jiao insisted on him sleeping with her. She slowly turned over and rested her head on his arm in satisfaction. ¡°Uncle, can I make a request?¡± Chapter 94 - 94 I Want to Live With Him 94 I Want to Live With Him Things were different now. Pei Zhi did not dare to agree to her request rashly. ¡°Tell me about it first.¡± Lin Jiao leaned against his chest. ¡°I want to move in with you after I get discharged.¡± They had only spent a short time together in her previous life. Now that they had met again, she only wanted to make up for all the regrets she had in the past. ¡°Jiaojiao, we can only live together when we get married.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get married.¡± Pei Zhi felt like his brain was being struck by a wooden stick, causing him to lose the ability to think. If she said that while she was in her right mind, he would definitely go home immediately to get all the paperwork done. However, she was not. Pei Zhi sighed helplessly. ¡°Let¡¯s get married when you turn 25, okay?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to get married too early.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± She married him as soon as she reached a marriageable age in her previous life, so she did not think that age was an issue. ¡°But what?¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to wait too long.¡± Pei Zhi was the same. He stretched his stiff legs out of the nket and flexed his knees before talking to her. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He looked sideways at her. ¡°I haven¡¯t had enough alone time with you yet. I don¡¯t want to have children too early.¡± ¡°We can choose not to have children for now.¡± ¡°Still no. I have no self-control.¡± Lin Jiao was in a dillema. She thought for a long time but could not think of a solution. It was not until Shen Yi appeared that her worries were swept away. ¡°Are you two going to sleep?¡± Shen Yi looked at Pei Zhi, who was frozen on the bed like a mummy, and coughed to hide his smile. Zhou Yanshen was also trying his best to fight back the urge tough out loud. He walked to the bed and patted the leg that was hanging outside. ¡°President Pei, isn¡¯t your leg cold?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Pei Zhi red at him. He sat up, holding the railing, and was about to ask about the surveince cameras when the person in his arms beat him to it. ¡°Shen Yi, I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°Ask away.¡± Lin Jiao asked, ¡°How can I avoid getting pregnant?¡± ¡°Pfft¡ª¡± Zhou Yanshen spat out a mouthful of water. He grabbed his cor and coughed a few times. When he felt better, he put down the cup and said in disbelief, ¡°Did I hear it wrong?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao lifted the wet nket and did not me him. ¡°Brother Yanshen, drink slowly next time. Don¡¯t choke.¡± Zhou Yanshen only heard the word ¡®no¡¯. He looked at the expressionless Pei Zhi. ¡°Why are you suddenly talking about having children?¡± ¡°This topic just came up.¡± Lin Jiao looked at Shen Yi, waiting for his answer. Shen Yi replied from the doctor¡¯s perspective, ¡°There¡¯s something called condom. Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to use it.¡± Pei Zhi fell back on the bed, speechless. ¡°President Pei, do you want to give sterilization a try?¡± Shen Yi leaned against the wall and suggested seriously. ¡°Sterilization? Is surgery needed for that?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Lin Jiao could not bear to let him suffer. She was silent for a moment. ¡°Is there any other way?¡± Under someone¡¯s warning gaze, Shen Yi stopped teasing. ¡°The best way is to use condom.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thister.¡± Pei Zhi pulled her into his arms so that she could not ask again. He adjusted the pillow behind his waist and asked, ¡°Did you find him?¡± ¡°No news yet.¡± Zhou Yanshen and Shen Yi sat down on the sofa. He thought about it again and asked Lin Jiao in an extremely tactful manner, ¡°Jiaojiao, why didn¡¯t you go back home after work today?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then how did you injure your head?¡± Lin Jiao frowned, trying to find important information from that blurry memory. But somehow, the more she thought about it, the more her head hurt. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you can¡¯t remember.¡± Pei Zhi caressed her eyebrows to soothe her. He handed the phone to her and changed the topic. ¡°See where the takeout is.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao lit up the screen. While she was doing that, Pei Zhi called them to the balcony to discuss this matter. Zhou Yanshen asked, ¡°When do you n to tell Pei Yn about her condition?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He stretched his neck. ¡°Spend more time with her. We¡¯ll go back first.¡± Pei Zhi sent them off. He picked up the takeout on the nurse¡¯s desk and returned to the ward. ¡°Jiaojiao, eat first.¡± Lin Jiao returned the phone to him. She scooped a spoonful of cake and fed it to him. ¡°Try it.¡± A sweet but not greasy smell filled the air. Pei Zhi swallowed it and felt that it was sweet from his throat to his heart. He put the straw into the milk tea cup and handed it to her. ¡°I¡¯m going out to buy makeup remover for you.¡± ¡°Thene back quickly.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao finished the cake and milk tea and stared at the door fixedly, expecting someone¡¯s return. When he returned, she leaned back and waited for him to remove her makeup. ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± Pei Zhi washed her up and leaned over to turn off the light. Seeing that he was about to walk to the sofa, Lin Jiao grabbed the corner of his shirt and pulled him back. ¡°This bed is not small. Let¡¯s sleep together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll identally touch your wound.¡± ¡°It¡¯s ok.¡± Pei Zhi could not refuse anymore. He took off his shoes and socks andy under the nket with her, using his thin arms as a pillow. ¡°Jiaojiao, good night.¡± ¡°What about a goodnight kiss?¡± Lin Jiao slowed down and looked up. The gentle moonlight shone on her expectant eyes, making his heart melt. He nted a kiss on her forehead. ¡°Be good and sleep.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to kiss me tomorrow morning.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After getting his promise, Lin Jiao closed her eyes happily and fell asleep in peace. Pei Zhi sighed slightly and gradually tightened his grip on her waist. Surrounded by her sweet smell, he fell asleep with her. ¡°Boss, I brought the chicken soup.¡± Qu Shao came to the hospital early in the morning with a thermos. He asked about Lin Jiao first to make sure that she was fine. ¡°I made this this morning. It¡¯s enough for the two of you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Pei Zhi was very sincere. After helping Lin Jiao clean her face, he turned around and walked into the washroom to wash up, leaving Qu Shao staring at her. Qu Shao could see the sweetness in her eyes and suddenly had a guess. ¡°Miss Lin, what did Boss say to you?¡± ¡°Just now?¡± Under his gossipy gaze, Lin Jiao said slowly, ¡°He didn¡¯t say anything. He just kissed me.¡± Qu Shao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Kiss¡­?¡± Chapter 95 - 95 Enjoy the Alone Time With Her 95 Enjoy the Alone Time With Her ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the spoon and scooped the soup, savoring the fragrance of the chicken. She praised, ¡°The soup is good.¡± Qu Shao was still in a daze. He ced his hands on the railing at the end of the bed and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Can I change the way I address you?¡± ¡°How do you want to address me?¡± ¡°Lady Boss?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this how you always address me?¡± The more Lin Jiao looked at him, the more confused she was. Qu Shao was dumbfounded. After Pei Zhi finished washing up, he quickly pulled him to the balcony. ¡°Boss, there¡¯s something wrong with Miss Lin¡¯s head!¡± ¡°Her memory is just all jumbled up.¡± ¡°How did it happen?¡± ¡°Ask Shen Yi.¡± Pei Zhi did not have time to exin. Before turning around, he reminded, ¡°Be careful with what you say and do in front of her. She is unstable.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao nodded. Not long after he found Shen Yi, Pei Yn and Chu Yuzhou came over with the same confusion. After they heard the whole story, they fell into a deep and long silence. No one knew what to say. ¡°Uncle,e out for a moment.¡± When Pei Yn pushed open the door, her eyes were still red. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°You know Jiaojiao¡¯s condition, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pei Zhi leaned against the wall and waited for his niece to continue. ¡°Can you please help her?¡± ¡°How do you want me to help?¡± As soon as Pei Yn looked into her eyes, she became timid, but for Lin Jiao, she still mustered up her courage to face him head on. She said seriously, ¡°You are very important to Jiaojiao now. If you don¡¯t pretend to be her boyfriend, she¡¯ll definitely break down.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°I know you don¡¯t like her, and it¡¯s not fair to you, but she¡­¡± ¡°Who said I don¡¯t like her?¡± Pei Zhi smiled mischeveously. He flicked her forehead twice, his tone filled with warning. ¡°I will pretend you didn¡¯t introduce a boyfriend to Jiaojiao, but if you do that again, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡± At this moment, Pei Yn felt like she had been struck by lightning. She was stunned for a moment before muttering, ¡°Uncle likes Jiaojiao?¡± Chu Yuzhou nodded. ¡°Brother Pei liked her before she got together with Gu Quan.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?!¡± If she knew, she would have set them up long ago instead of letting that bastard Gu Quan break Lin Jiao¡¯s heart. ¡°He hid it too well.¡± Chu Yuzhou yed with the lighter and yawned. ¡°I only found out two years ago.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Pei Yn felt sorry for Pei Zhi when she thought of how he had been having a crush on Lin Jiao for so many years. ¡°Why are you sighing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just touched.¡± She said seriously, ¡°Our Pei family is really too affectionate.¡± ¡°Are you affectionate?¡± ¡°Not only am I affectionate, but also my affectionsts the longest.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Chu Yuzhou replied curtly. He put the lighter back in his pocket and held her arm to pull her up from the chair. ¡°Go in and see your aunt.¡± Pei Yn liked this idea. ¡°Auntie.¡± As soon as she entered, she pounced on the bed and hugged Lin Jiao. ¡°I want a Chanel. Can I?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The ck tote bag.¡± Pei Yn opened the official website for her to see. Just as Lin Jiao was about to ce the order, Pei Zhi took her phone and punched in his credit card. After paying, he returned it to her and said lovingly, ¡°Use this card when you buy things in the future.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao smiled faintly. She returned to the official website and bought two scarves for Pei Yn. ¡°This is especially suitable for you.¡± Pei Yn pointed at a choker decorated with diamonds. ¡°It¡¯s too shiny.¡± ¡°You can match it with a dress.¡± She showed the photo to Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, what do you think?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± As soon as he said that it was not bad, Lin Jiao stopped hesitating. She ced the order and began chit-chatting with Pei Yn. At this moment, Zhou Yanshen rushed to the hospital with a dark expression and called them to the balcony. He said coldly, ¡°The person who sent Lin Jiao to the hospital went abroad. So far, we only found out that his employer is called He Qi.¡± ¡°He Qi?¡± Chu Yuzhou paused in the middle of lighting a cigarette. ¡°That name rings a bell.¡± ¡°Song Zhen¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°The one who was beaten up in Bo Yu Club?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Yi frowned at Pei Zhi. ¡°Do you think this has anything to do with Gu Quan?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Pei Zhi pondered for a moment. ¡°But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s likely.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll investigate He Qi.¡± ¡°And the surveince cameras near Ming Xin Mansion.¡± After hearing this conversation, Qu Shao went to investigate without needing Pei Zhi to remind him. After he left, Zhou Yanshen finally figured out the rtionship between that group of people. ¡°If Gu Quan was really the one who did it, I¡¯ll definitely kill him!¡± To begin with, Gu Quan was a scumbag, and now he even resorted to violence. Did he really think Lin Jiao was alone and easy to bully? ¡°Count me in.¡± Chu Yuzhou became especially excited when he heard about seeking justice for Lin Jiao. He stepped on the cigarette butt under his foot. ¡°They really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them. How long has it been since thest beating? They are itching for some punches again.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Shen Yi stopped him from brandishing his fists. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it when Qu Shao finds out.¡± ¡°How long will it take him to find out?¡± ¡°Two days at most.¡± Pei Zhi was very confident in Qu Shao¡¯s ability. Otherwise, he would not have kept him around. He thought of the scene he saw in Bo Yu Clubst time and a trace of disgust shed across his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the person who injured Jiaojiao will not escape unscathed.¡± Zhou Yanshen gradually calmed down. He stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers and looked back. ¡°Is her wound inmed?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How long before she can remove the stitches?¡± ¡°In five days.¡± After telling him about her condition, Shen Yi was called away by a nurse. He was busy seeing the patients, and the other three had their own things to do. In just a moment, the ward was deserted. Pei Zhi was left alone to apany Lin Jiao. He was lying on the bed watching a drama with Lin Jiao in his arms. Just as he saw the male and female leads kissing, she turned to look at him. He reminded her, ¡°There are surveince cameras.¡± Lin Jiao pulled the nket over their heads. ¡°They can¡¯t see us now.¡± She pressed her lips against his chin in the dim light to find the spot where his lips were. The moment their lips touched, Pei Zhi¡¯s body tensed, followed by an indescribable numbness. Even if it was just a light kiss, it still caused his desire to grow crazily. Hearing his rapid breathing, Lin Jiao thought that he was stifled and quickly lifted the nket to bring in some air. She looked up. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± Pei Zhi let out a long breath. He pressed the y button on the iPad. Just as he thought that there would be no intimate scene, the male and female leads fell onto the sofa again. Without waiting for her to speak first this time, he said, ¡°Jiaojiao, I want to¡­¡± ¡°You want too?¡± Lin Jiao grabbed his cor. She looked at the buttons. ¡°But you¡¯re not wearing a tie. I have nothing to pull.¡± Chapter 96 - 96 Tracking Down He Qi 96 Tracking Down He Qi ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi held the hand on his cor, feeling both helpless and amused. ¡°Jiaojiao, I want to watch a sci-fi movie.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like this drama?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t watch the previous episodes, so I¡¯m confused.¡± Lin Jiao did not insist. !! She opened the list for him and, at his signal, yed a sci-fi movie. ¡°Uncle, when can I be discharged?¡± Before the movie started, shey on his chest and yed with his fingertips. ¡°Friday.¡± Pei Zhi carefully brushed aside the hair on her shoulder. ¡°You can be discharged after the stitches are removed.¡± ¡°Did you help me apply for leave?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao focused on the iPad, her eyes reflecting the scenes that shed past. Shey on the bed with him for a long time and watched movie after movie. Qu Shao knocked on the door the next evening. He took out a USB sh drive and went to Shen Yi¡¯s office to borrow aptop. ¡°The person who went out with Miss Lin is Su Tian.¡± On the footage, the two of them could clearly be seen standing downstairs and having a few minutes of conversation. Although they could not hear anything, they could tell that there was hostility between the two of them. Pei Zhi frowned. ¡°Did she hurt Lin Jiao?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao clicked on the image of the front door of the cafe and the back alley. ¡°Not long after He Qi entered, Miss Lin was carried out. It should be him who did it.¡± ¡°What about the camera footage in the cafe?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve already deleted it in advance.¡± ¡°They are pretty fast.¡± Pei Zhi sneered. As he rubbed the fountain pen on the table, he asked Shen Yi, ¡°How serious is Jiaojiao¡¯s injury?¡± ¡°Minor injury.¡± Shen Yi crossed his arms. ¡°If we call the police, he¡¯ll be locked up for fifteen days at most.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too easy on him.¡± ¡°Indeed. We have to settle this privately.¡± ¡°Leave He Qi to Yanshen.¡± Pei Zhi knew that Zhou Yanshen was angry, so he decided to give him a chance to vent his anger. After Zhou Yanshen was done venting his anger, it would be his turn to do so. Shen Yi nodded. ¡°How about Su Tian?¡± He remembered that she hade to do a check-up. ¡°Her medical record can be used against her.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t give it to Gu Quan yet.¡± Pei Zhi guessed what he meant and reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t forget that Jiaojiao must avoid extreme ups and downs of emotion at this moment.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± With Gu Quan¡¯s personality, he would most likelye to find Lin Jiao after ditching Su Tian. At that time, Lin Jiao would definitely suffer. Pei Zhi thought for a moment and said to Qu Shao, ¡°Choose someone from the information and tell him Su Tian¡¯s location.¡± Qu Shao nodded. ¡°Got it.¡± ¡°What do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Shen Yi was curious. After he finished reading the information, he regretted it so much that he wanted to wash his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s too scary. I can¡¯t find an adjective to describe it.¡± ¡°Me too at first.¡± Qu Shao crossed his legs and swayed his feet, asking him for some advice. ¡°Which one do you think is suitable?¡± ¡°About the same.¡± ¡°What if you had to choose one?¡± Shen Yi guessed that he was conflicted, so he gave him an idea. ¡°Find out who¡¯s in the country first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao pulled out the USB sh drive. He walked to the window and called Ven Olle to ask him to keep an eye on this matter. At the same time, Zhou Yanshen sent a few people to capture He Qi. As night fell, a few silver lights shed across the dark clouds in the sky, indicating that this night was not going to be peaceful. In the underground boxing arena in the city center. He Qi, who was stuffed in a brown sack, was thrown to the floor without any strength to struggle. The light above his head poured down at him. He subconsciously narrowed his eyes and sized up his surroundings through theyers of blurry light. ¡°Send him up.¡± The man with the crew cut nced at him indifferently and lowered his head to wipe the back of his hand. He Qi was so frightened that his face was pale, but the tape around his mouth made him unable to utter a sound. He could only let them push him into the boxing ring. The group of burly men who were watching the beating felt bored and wanted to spice things up. ¡°Brother Dao, untie him first.¡± They shouted at the boxer opposite He Qi. ¡°Remove the tape too. Let us hear him beg.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! I was about to fall asleep.¡± Hearing the suggestions, Brother Dao removed the tape that was covered in saliva disdainfully and untied his hands. He Qi, who could finally speak, turned to re at the man on the sofa and threatened, ¡°I advise you to let me go!¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Unless you kill me now, I¡¯ll definitely tten this lousy ce!¡± ¡°You¡¯re that confident?¡± The man with the crew cutughed. He raised his chin at the boxer. ¡°If you can beat him, I¡¯ll do you the favor of ttening this lousy ce.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll be ordered around by you? Who do you think you¡­¡± Before He Qi could finish speaking, he received a heavy punch on the face. His anger rose. Without waiting for the other party to attack again, he kicked his abdomen. Brother Dao hammered at his knee. He nced at the ce where He Qi wanted tounch a sneak attack. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to like this ce.¡± He Qi, who had never been humiliated like this, pounced on him crazily. However, he was not trained, and his punches felt like air on Brother Dao. ¡°Are you done?¡± Brother Dao looked at him disdainfully. When He Qi stood up again, he stopped teasing him and punched him again and again without holding back. Gradually, the smell of blood and sweat mixed together and brushed past the audience below. He Qi, who had been beaten unconscious a few times, lost his willpletely. He even started begging. Unfortunately, no one cared about it. He could only endure the pain that was sweeping through his body. He could only watch as countless unfamiliar faces took turns throwing punches at him. ¡°Boss.¡± After Brother Dao left the boxing ring again, he found the man with the crew cut. ¡°It¡¯s Friday.¡± ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡± ¡°He¡¯s alive, but he¡¯s no different from dead.¡± ¡°How tragic.¡± The man with the crew cut shook his head. He called Zhou Yanshen and, at his instruction, asked someone to send He Qi to Tongji Hospital. Shen Yi, who received a new patient, went to the hospital to wee this big client. He followed the nurse to the emergency room and said seriously, ¡°He¡¯s seriously injured. Let¡¯s do a thorough checkup first.¡± ¡°Thorough check up? Does that include andrology?¡± ¡°Of course it does.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The nurse nced down and saw that there was nothing intact on He Qi, so she didn¡¯t object. Shen Yi caught her gaze and wanted tough. He covered his mouth and coughed. ¡°Send him to the ward on the top floor after the treatment.¡± Chapter 97 - 97 Trying to Win His Kiss 97 Trying to Win His Kiss The nurse closed the curtain. After taking some photos of him, Shen Yi went to find Pei Zhi. He leaned against the wall. ¡°I think he¡¯s in an especially bad mental state. He¡¯s probably traumatized by that group of beatboxers.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s reaction was calm after looking at the photos. !! ¡°Perfect.¡± He put the makeup remover and toiletries in the bag. ¡°You can rip him off.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Where are you going tonigh¡± ¡°Home, of course.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Lin Jiao will kick up a fuss?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Pei Zhi looked out. ¡°But I¡¯m more afraid that she will do something to challenge my self-control.¡± In the hospital, he could still use the surveince cameras as an excuse. If he brought her home, he would probably fall prey to her. ¡°Lettng her kiss you won¡¯t hurt.¡± Shen Yi slowly washed his hands slowly. ¡°Why are you acting like a chaste man now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just being responsible for her.¡± Pei Zhi turned around and left the washroom. He walked to Lin Jiao¡¯s side, picked up the shoce on the ground, and helped her tie it. ¡°Shen Yi, we¡¯ll leave first.¡± Shen Yi replied, ¡°Be careful on the way.¡± He watched the two figures walk away and head to the other direction toplete his mission. The sound of the ambnce gradually disappeared when the Mercedes-Benz drove out of the parking lot. Lin Jiao, who was sitting in the passenger seat, opened the window to enjoy the breeze that carried the fragrance of flowers. When she turned around, her eyes were still shining brightly. ¡°Uncle?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want to go home with you.¡± When he met her gaze, Pei Zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Not tonight.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I n to go back to the old mansion.¡± He had already thought of an excuse, but he still felt bad about lying to her. Lin Jiao lowered her eyes in disappointment. She rubbed her hands. After a long silence, she asked, ¡°What about tomorrow?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be there tomorrow too.¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow?¡± Pei Zhi did not answer. He rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯ve decided, okay?¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t make me wait too long.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After receiving his affirmative answer, Lin Jiao, who had always believed in him, did not harp on this topic. She turned to face him and looked at his side profile longingly. ¡°I have to go out tomorrow and can¡¯t see you.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°Qian Yue, and Yn.¡± Pei Zhi was searching in his memory about this unfamiliar name. He turned the steering wheel and asked with uncertainty, ¡°Is Qian Yue the one who studies medicine?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Haven¡¯t you seen her before?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± When the car stopped outside the building, Lin Jiao opened her arms and waited for him toe over to hug her. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two meet when we have the chance.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist. He looked down into her eyes and said, reluctant to let her go, ¡°Remember to send me the location when you go out tomorrow.¡± ¡°Kiss me first.¡± Lin Jiao tapped her lips, trying her best to trick him into kissing her. ¡°If I don¡¯t kiss you, I might forget.¡± Pei Zhi did not know what to do with her. He gulped and tilted his head to cover her red lips for a good five seconds. ¡°Be good,¡± he repeated what he just said, his voice inexplicably hoarse. ¡°You have to remember.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Lin Jiao got out of the car. She stepped into the elevator and went home before the sunset. The next night, she went to the bar street near the CBD. Business on Bar Street was still booming. Every weekend, there were several times more customers than usual. The bars they passed by were filled with livelyughter. ¡°Jiaojiao, over here!¡± Pei Yn leaned against the window on the second floor and waved at her. Lin Jiao looked up and walked up the creaking wooden stairs. ¡°Is Qian Yue not here yet?¡± She took off her beige coat and sat down beside Pei Yn. ¡°In no time.¡± Pei Yn gave her a ss of Three Drunken Immortals. She looked at Lin Jiao from the side and saw that her eyes were filled with sweet smiles. She couldn¡¯t help but be curious. ¡°How far have you and Uncle progressed?¡± ¡°Only kissing at the moment.¡± ¡°Kissing?!¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°But strangely, I didn¡¯t get the feeling Qian Yue described.¡± ¡°Did you do it wrong?¡± ¡°What did I do wrong?¡± ¡°Tell me how you kissed each other first.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s eyes were filled with gossip. Lin Jiao said seriously, ¡°Our lips touched. Isn¡¯t that how you¡¯re supposed to kiss?¡± ¡°No.¡± Only then did Pei Yn realize that Lin Jiao had a wrong definition of kissing. She found a hot french kiss dynamic photo from an American drama on the Inte and exined to her with extreme patience, ¡°This is called kissing.¡± Lin Jiao seemed to have learned it. She looked at the photo three times and asked, ¡°What should I do if he doesn¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°You have to ask Qian Yue about this.¡± ¡°What do you want to ask me?¡± A charming voice was heard. Qian Yue ced a red Dior on the table and sat down opposite her. She got the looks from her mother. At first nce, it was easy to mistake her for a European. Pei Yn handed the phone to her. ¡°Jiaojiao wants to ask you what if the person she wants to kiss doesn¡¯t open his mouth like this.¡± If it were anyone else, they would probably be embarrassed to hear such a blunt question the first thing upon their arrival. However, Qian Yue was very calm the entire time. She quietly sized up Lin Jiao. Seeing that her current state waspletely different from when she was with Gu Quan, Qian Yue was very sure that her feelings for Pei Zhi were not simply due to a confused memory. ¡°Jiaojiao, what is his sign?¡± She started to put on airs of a love mentor. ¡°Scorpio.¡± ¡°Then you just have to seduce him.¡± ¡°How?¡± Lin Jiao leaned forward, her eyes filled with desire for ¡®knowledge¡¯. ¡°Wear sexy pajamas and sit on hisp. He definitely won¡¯t be able to resist.¡± ¡°What if he can resist?¡± ¡°Very unlikely.¡± Qian Yue paused for a few seconds. ¡°If he really can, kiss him from the back of his neck to the corner of his mouth.¡± In the following few minutes, Lin Jiao and Pei Yn learned a lot of useful ¡®knowledge¡¯. After taking note of it, she said, ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t want to live with me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very simple.¡± Pei Yn thought of a solution without thinking. She swirled her wine ss. ¡°I have a spare key to his house. I¡¯ll bring it to you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Is that a good idea?¡± ¡°Definitely not.¡± Qian Yue spoke before Pei Yn could. ¡°This won¡¯t solve the problem.¡± Chapter 98 - 98 Pretending to Be Drunk 98 Pretending to Be Drunk Lin Jiao thought so too. She picked up the wine ss and tasted the fruit fragrance that entered her nose. ¡°Is there any other way?¡± Qian Yue gave her two ideas. One of the mostmon ideas was to pretend to be drunk so that she could get what she wanted tonight. ¡°Give the key to Yn for safekeeping.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Lin Jiao stuffed the door key into Pei Yn¡¯s bag. After her problem was solved, it was Pei Yn¡¯s turn to ask, ¡°What about me? I haven¡¯t kissed him yet.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you kiss him when you went to visit him on the shooting side?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t get the chance.¡± ¡°No hurry.¡± Qian Yue made a perfect n based on her situation. She took out an air cushion to touch up her makeup. ¡°That¡¯s about it. Next time, I¡¯ll have to ask you something in return.¡± Pei Yn understood what she meant. ¡°We don¡¯t have to wait for next time. I¡¯ll introduce one to you now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely!¡± She swiped open her phone and scrolled through her WeChat list. ¡°What type of men do you like as of now?¡± ¡°Gentle and mature.¡± ¡°I think Shen Yi is not bad.¡± Lin Jiao immediately thought of him. ¡°And he¡¯s a doctor too. He¡¯s a good match for you.¡± ¡°Shen Yi from Tongji Hospital?¡± ¡°You saw him.¡± Qian Yue pursed her lips. ¡°I met him this morning when I went to sign the contract.¡± ¡°Are you going to work at Tongji from now on?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Pei Yn retracted her hand from the list and looked at her suggestively. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two try to develop a rtionship?¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± She said without thinking, ¡°It¡¯s especially awkward to remain colleagues after breaking up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already thinking about breaking up before you even start dating?¡± ¡°I like to n things ahead of time.¡± Pei Yn clicked her tongue and said, ¡°If you have feelings for him, you can give it a try.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Then I¡¯ll find someone else for you.¡± Lin Jiao listened carefully to the male candidates and asionally gave suggestions. Unfortunately, Qian Yue did not like any of them. ¡°I only have so many single and unmarried male friends.¡± Pei Yn shrugged and looked at Lin Jiao. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you have any?¡± ¡°I do, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯spatible.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Brother Yanshen.¡± ¡°What makes you think he¡¯s notpatible?¡± Qian Yue¡¯s curiosity was piqued. ¡°He changes his girlfriends very often.¡± ¡°Does he cheat?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Does he hit women?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao listed his advantages. ¡°He¡¯s very filial and kind. He never loses his temper for no reason.¡± ¡°From what you said, other than changing girlfriends frequently, he¡¯s good in all aspects?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Let me see the photo first.¡± Qian Yue put out her hands. ¡°If he¡¯s my type, it doesn¡¯t matter how often he changes girlfriends.¡± Lin Jiao found a photo for her to look at. When a familiar face entered Qian Yue¡¯s eyes, she couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± She stood up excitedly. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you sure he¡¯s single?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Lin Jiao was puzzled. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°He fits my criteria for a partner.¡± ¡°Because of this photo?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qian Yue told them about how Yanshen helped her find her stolen phone in Lin City one evening in July. She took a sip of wine to calm herself down. ¡°I wanted to ask him for his contact number, but his girlfriend was present too, so¡­¡± ¡°So you fell in love with him at first sight?¡± ¡°You could say that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same between me and Jiang Ye!¡± Pei Yn was even more excited than her when she heard of a simr encounter. Lin Jiao, who was sandwiched in the middle, covered her ears when the other two screamed. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you close to him?¡± ¡°He¡¯s my brother.¡± ¡°Cousin?¡± ¡°No.¡± She briefly exined her rtionship with Zhou Yanshen and asked, ¡°Are you really nning to develop a rtionship with him?¡± Qian Yue replied firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t leave aftering back this time anyway.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°What kind of expression is that?¡± She held Lin Jiao¡¯s arm. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to be your sister-inw?¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get hurt.¡± Although Qian Yue had more romantic experiences than them, if she really fell in love with someone, she would do anything. As for Zhou Yanshen¡­ He did not even know what love was. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Qian Yue leaned on her shoulder, feeling a warmth in her heart. ¡°I will walk away if I must.¡± Seeing that she was determined, Lin Jiao did not stop her. She opened the calendar. ¡°It¡¯s Uncle¡¯s birthday on the fifth of next month. I¡¯ll introduce him to you then.¡± ¡°He won¡¯t fall in love during this period, will he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Tell him first.¡± Qian Yue was worried that she would be disappointed and quickly asked her to send a WeChat message. Not long after, Zhou Yanshen called. ¡°Jiaojiao, why do you want to introduce a girl to me all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Of course you can.¡± With the cigarette in his mouth, he listened carefully to the song on the other end of the phone. ¡°Where are you guys now? Shall Ie over and y?¡± Lin Jiao nced at Qian Yue. ¡°We¡¯re leaving soon.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Yanshen copsed on the bed and did not force her. ¡°Tell me when you get home.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao hung up. Just as she was about to ask Qian Yue, Pei Yn asked first, ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to see him tonight?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t dress up today.¡± Qian Yue looked down at the dress she was wearing and pointed at the tip of her nose. ¡°There¡¯s another pimple here.¡± ¡°Your pimple isn¡¯t obvious.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the same.¡± She cared about her image. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to see any ws in me.¡± Lin Jiao chuckled. ¡°I understand.¡± People who fell in love all wanted to show their best side to their loved ones, and she was no exception. ¡°Come, cheers.¡± Seeing that there was still so much wine left to drink, Pei Yn immediately raised her ss. The atmosphere was still lively. After three rounds of drinking, all of them were red in the face. Seeing that it was almost midnight, Qian Yue took the phone from Lin Jiao and called Pei Zhi. She told him about the location of the bar. ¡°Done!¡± ¡°How soon will he be here?¡± ¡°About fifteen minutes.¡± ¡°Then should I hide?¡± Pei Yn put down her cup, worried that she would be scoldedter. ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao held the mirror as Qian Yue helped her touch up her makeup, ¡°Just pretend to be asleep.¡± Pei Yn crossed her arms andy down. She looked at Qian Yue again before closing her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t let him send me back.¡± Qian Yue blinked. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 99 - 99 Little Liar 99 Little Liar Pei Zhi arrived on time to pick up Lin Jiao. He found Lin Jiao and strode over to pull her into his arms. ¡°How much did she drink?¡± ¡°Not much. About ten sses.¡± Qian Yue watched them and felt that they were a good match. She tapped her fingers on the table. When she caught the anxiety in his eyes, she raised her chin slightly to the right. ¡°Take Lin Jiao back first.¡± Pei Zhi turned to look at Pei Yn. Before he could speak, Qian Yue said, ¡°Leave Yn to me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He picked up Lin Jiao and looked at Qian Yue. ¡°Thank you.¡± His eyes were unreadable, making Qian Yue feel that their n had been seen through. She calmed herself down. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± When the footsteps were gone, Pei Yn, who was pretending to be asleep, opened one eye. ¡°Did he notice it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°Was my acting bad?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Qian Yue suspected that she was overthinking and did not dwell on it. ¡°Do you still want to drink?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Pei Yn put on her coat and followed her downstairs. She pushed open the door of the bar, thinking that she would not be discovered by Pei Zhi who had just driven off. She even stood on her tiptoes and looked to the left and right. Little did she know that Pei Zhi saw her sneaky actions through the rearview mirror. He sneered and drove towards Ming Xin Mansion. He stopped at the building and looked for Lin Jiao¡¯s door key. Hearing the noise, Lin Jiao grabbed her seatbelt guiltily and closed her eyes even more tightly. She waited for a long time but did not see him continue driving. Her heart was in her mouth, but she was afraid of being discovered and did not dare to move. ¡°Finally.¡± Pei Zhi took out his house key and waved it in her ear. In an instant, the girl who pretended to be drunk opened her eyes. Realizing that she had been deceived, Lin Jiao panicked. She suppressed the emotions in her eyes and looked over in a daze. ¡°Were you calling me just now?¡± ¡°Are you a little liar?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°Then I wasn¡¯t calling you.¡± Pei Zhi leaned over and wrapped his arms around her waist. He touched her flushed cheek gently. ¡°Jiaojiao, where¡¯s your key?¡± ¡°What key?¡± ¡°Door key.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± Lin Jiao ¡®didn¡¯t understand¡¯ him. She reached out to hug his neck and said coquettishly, ¡°I feel ufortable all over my body.¡± ¡°Then what should we do?¡± ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. He turned around and drove towards the Red Maple Forest. After finding a parking spot, he carried her all the way to the 19th floor in the elevator.. When the door opened, the ¡®sleepy¡¯ Lin Jiao narrowed her eyes and looked around. The living room was mainly grayish-white. The furnishings were simple, but they looked organized. The floor-to-ceiling window facing the entrance had a wide view. Not only could one see the city and the CBD, but one could also see the starry night. ¡°I¡¯ll go run you a bath.¡± Pei Zhi took out the pair of cat slippers he had prepared and ced them in front of her before entering the bathroom. Lying on the sofa, all Lin Jiao could think of was the goal she set out to achieve. She ran through the ¡°knowledge¡± that Qian Yue had taught her. When he came with the bathrobe, she had already decided on n A. ¡°Slow down.¡± Pei Zhi watched as the figure shed past his eyes. Lin Jiao closed the door. ¡°Wait for me in the room.¡± He did not n to sleep in the same room as her. He pushed open the door to the second bedroom and tidied it up. Twenty minutester, the sound of running water stopped. Pei Zhi, who was scrolling through his Wechat messages, heard footsteps approaching. Before he could look up, half of the lights in the living room were turned off. ¡°Jiaojiao, why did you turn off the lights?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too bright.¡± Lin Jiao sat on hisp. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his skin. Pei Zhi, whose body tensed up, did not move. He felt the itch running from his right neck to his Adam¡¯s apple. Subconsciously, he pushed her away. ¡°Stop it.¡± He held her shoulder, his gaze dark like the cloud before rain. Lin Jiao refused to stop. She stared at his thin lips and grabbed his cor. Unless she achieved her goal, she didn¡¯t seem like she was gonna back down at all. Pei Zhi, who had never encountered such a situation, slowly fell into the trap. When he tasted the sweetness, his eyes darkened. This feeling was extremely addictive. In the past, she never experienced it, so she didn¡¯t care what it felt like. Now, when their lips touched, all she could think about was having their lips glued together forever. ¡°Pa ta¡ª¡± The remote control that fell to the ground broke the silence. She calmed her breathing. ¡°I dropped the remote control.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Pei Zhi gulped. He picked up the remote control and carried her to the side ufortably. ¡°Jiaojiao, go to sleep first.¡± His hoarse voice brushed past Lin Jiao¡¯s ear, making her feel numb. She wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°Together.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait a little while.¡± ¡°Waiting for what?¡± Pei Zhi could not answer this question. He asked Lin Jiao to bring the cigarettes to him and slowly lit one, trying to use nicotine to suppress the desire. The smoke rose up, making only his side profile visible. Seeing that he had finished smoking, Lin Jiao raised her chin and kissed his earlobe. ¡°Do you still want to wait?¡± Chapter 100 - 100 First Meeting with Her Parents 100 First Meeting with Her Parents Pei Zhi stared at her face. ¡°No, I¡¯ve waited long enough.¡± He hid the love that was overflowing and making him unable to think straight. If he continued to wait, he felt like he was going to die. Lin Jiaoy on his shoulder and let him carry her into the master bedroom on the right side of the corridor. She lifted the nket and got in. Seeing that he was about to leave, she called out to him, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to sleep with me?¡± ¡°I do. I¡¯m just going to take a shower.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t take too long.¡± Pei Zhi did not answer. He pushed open the bathroom door. While washing his body with shower gel, he was immersed in the hot airing out of the shower. The moment he went into bed, Lin Jiao, who was so tired that she could not open her eyes, subconsciously snuggled into his arms. She murmured, ¡°Good night kiss.¡± Pei Zhi reached out his right hand and wrapped it around the back of her neck. He kissed the top of her head. When he felt sleepy and tired, he fell asleep with her. Nights that weren¡¯t spent alone always made people feel at ease. Buzz¡ªBuzz¡ª The sun shone through the window and onto the phone. Pei Zhi, who was not awake enough, narrowed his eyes at the caller ID and pressed the answer button. He cleared his throat. ¡°Dad.¡± When a deep male voice entered his ears, Lin Hongyuan was shocked and almost lost his grip on his phone. After confirming that the number was correct, he asked in a questioning tone, ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your rtionship with my daughter?¡± Pei Zhi suddenly sat up straight. He took out his phone and looked at it again. Nervousness and frustration overwhelmed him, making him frown. ¡°Hello, Uncle. I¡¯m Jiaojiao¡¯s¡­¡± He looked at Lin Jiao and said firmly, ¡°Boyfriend.¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°This month.¡± Lin Hongyuan thought that it was difficult to get a full picture of the situation over the phone, so he ordered, ¡°Come back for lunch today.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi could only agree. He quietly left the room. While going to the fitting room to change, he asked Qu Shao to prepare gifts as soon as possible. After packing up, it was ten o¡¯clock. Lin Jiao woke up when he returned to the bedroom. Her gaze wandered from his carefully styled hair to his suit. ¡°Are you going out for business?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi told her what happened. He put on his watch and his well-defined handnded on his cor. Just as he was about to button up his tie, his tie was grabbed. The feeling of being strangled made him lean over and close the distance between them. Lin Jiao locked her arms around neck and climbed onto his body. Pei Zhi held the back of her head, his thick eyshes casting a shadow on her cheek. ¡°I forgot to brush my teeth.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips and lowered her head in embarrassment. Her face gradually turned red like a blooming flower in spring, making him unable to take his eyes off her. ¡°I forgot too.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed her skin, his eyes filled with love. ¡°Will it change your opinion about me?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± As if to prove it, Lin Jiao raised her chin and kissed him again. It was only when her shoulder was grabbed by his hands that she retreated and said seriously, ¡°I really don¡¯t mind.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°I believe you.¡± He carried her to the bathroom and took out the toothbrush he had bought for her earlier. The fragrance of mint spread in the air. Two ovepping figures were ying in front of the mirror. Theughter that spread to the bedroom was swept up by the breeze and gradually slipped out of the ss window. # A BMW drove through the greenery and into the European-style vi near the fountain garden. Lin Hongyuan pushed open the door. Hearing the noise, his wife, Fang Liu, came out from the kitchen. ¡°I thought it was Jiaojiao.¡± She handed the crab to the nanny and wiped her hands dry. ¡°Did you go out just to buy these?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough?¡± Lin Hongyuan opened the bag and ced two bottles of wine and three cigarette boxes on the coffee table. ¡°I¡¯m afraid her boyfriend won¡¯t like white wine.¡± ¡°He should be grateful that there¡¯s wine to drink.¡± Fang Liu said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re already putting on airs before you even be a father-inw. Aren¡¯t you afraid of scaring him away?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still someone else if he¡¯s scared away.¡± Lin Hongyuan crossed his legs and raised his chin. ¡°My daughter has a house full of suitors.¡± The more he talked like that, the more Fang Liu knew that he was the happiest of them all. She did not argue with him. ¡°I¡¯ll go up and call Yanwen.¡± ¡°Is she still asleep?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Lin Hongyuan nodded softly. He shook open the newspaper. He wanted to browse through news like he usually did, but he kept ncing at the door from the corner of his eye, unable to calm down. When the doorbell rang, he jumped up from his seat like he was sitting on pins and needles. ¡°Dad, Auntie Fang.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and held Pei Zhi¡¯s arm as they walked in. Be it the color of their clothes or their looks, they would strike everyone aspatible. Fang Liu tugged at Lin Hongyuan, who was in a daze. He went up and took the pile of gift boxes from Pei Zhi. ¡°Why did you buy so many things?¡± Pei Zhi said gently, ¡°I didn¡¯t know what you two liked, so I bought some.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t spend so much money next time.¡± Fang Liu asked them to sit down, feeling inexplicably nervous. When the hot tea was ced on the coffee table, Lin Hongyuan, who had been absent-minded, finally came back to his senses. He sized up the young man opposite him and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°The one from Sheng Heng Corp?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi sat up straight. Seeing that his body was tense, Lin Jiao held his hand and gestured for him to calm down. She looked at Lin Hongyuan. ¡°Dad, do you have any business with Sheng Heng?¡± Lin Hongyuan suppressed the shock in his heart. ¡°I do.¡± He picked up his teacup and took two sips. ¡°I signed an advertisement contract with them early this year.¡± ¡°Are you in the training industry?¡± ¡°Real estate.¡± Pei Zhi searched his memory. He thought of the names of Lin Jiao¡¯s parents she had told him beforeing and was almost certain. ¡°Is Hongyuan Real Estate yourpany?¡± ¡°I changed the name.¡± Lin Hongyuan leaned back. He rxed and leaned against the soft cushion Fang Liu ced behind his back. ¡°It¡¯s called Hongyun now.¡± Lin Jiao was puzzled. ¡°Why did you change the name?¡± Chapter 101 - 101 Why Do I Smell Jealousy? 101 Why Do I Smell Jealousy? Fang Liu ced the fruit te on the coffee table. ¡°He consulted with a master who said that changing the name to Hongyun will help thepany develop better.¡± ¡°Is it effective?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°What do you mean you think so¡¯?¡± Lin Hongyuan took off the Bodhi bracelet on his wrist and yed with it. ¡°I¡¯ve already signed two big orders recently.¡± ¡°Apparently, the master you found is not some kind of chatan.¡± Lin Jiao held the silver fork. She forked up a piece of apple and curiously asked, ¡°Are all the businessmen interested in Feng Shui and fortune-reading?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Lin Hongyuan raised his chin in Pei Zhi¡¯s direction and said with a smile, ¡°Young people like them probably won¡¯t care.¡± Pei Zhi indeed couldn¡¯t be bothered with that kind of superstitious thing at all. However, knowing that Lin Hongyuan was into Feng Shui, he nned to talk about it to get closer to him. Theirughter drifted to the second floor, attracting Fang Yanwen, who had juste out of the bedroom. She leaned against the spiral staircase and looked down. When that elegant man entered her vision, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. Driven by excitement, she quickly rushed downstairs. When she approached the sofa where he was, her hands were sweating. ¡°This is my sister¡¯s daughter, Fang Yanwen.¡± Fang Liu introduced her to them immediately. Fang Yanwen took her mother¡¯s surname. Her mother had married overseasst month. Because Fang Yanwen had to finish her studies, she could only stay with the Fang family for the time being. ¡°Hello.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. Seeing Lin Jiao sitting side by side with the man, Fang Yanwen¡¯s mind buzzed as she subconsciously thought of a possibility. Fang Liu, who was ignored by Fang Yanwen, felt a little embarrassed. She pulled Fang Yanwen and said again, ¡°This is Jiaojiao¡¯s boyfriend, Pei Zhi.¡± As expected¡­ The answer shattered all her expectations and hope. After saying hello with a smile, she followed them to the dining room to eat. ¡°This wine is not bad. Try it.¡± Lin Hongyuan unscrewed the lid of the white wine and poured Pei Zhi a ss. Pei Zhi took the ss and clinked sses with him before savoring the wine. The white wine was not as spicy. When he swallowed it, he did not feel a burning sensation in his throat. He picked up a few stir-fried prawns with garlic and slowly peeled them. ¡°If you like white wine, I¡¯ll bring it to you next time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything with a high alcohol content.¡± ¡°Will forty-three to fifty-three be alright?¡± ¡°That¡¯s about the range. If it¡¯s over 53, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t even take a sip.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t drink wines with high alcohol content either.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not socializing outside.¡± Fang Liu picked up some food for them. ¡°There¡¯s no need to buy strong wines.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Pei Zhi ced the peeled prawns in Lin Jiao¡¯s bowl and stared at her side profile. He leaned over and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat crabs?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao put down her chopsticks and took out two tissues to wipe his greasy fingertips. When Fang Yanwen saw their sweet interaction, she felt inexplicably annoyed. Perhaps out of jealousy, she broke the silence. ¡°Sister Jiao, when did you start working?¡± ¡°From July.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at her and asked casually, ¡°Which year are you in?¡± Fang Yanwen did not pay attention to Lin Jiao¡¯s appearance before. Now that she looked at her face, she felt overwhelmed by a sense of inferiority. She gripped her chopsticks tightly. ¡°Third year.¡± ¡°Are you preparing to take the postgraduate entrance examination?¡± ¡°Not really. I want to intern first.¡± ¡°Getting some internship experience is not bad.¡± Lin Jiao chewed on the prawn, the satisfied look on her face made Fang Yanwen feel even more annoyed. Fang Yanwen pursed her lips and asked, ¡°How long have you been with Brother Pei?¡± ¡°More than two months.¡± ¡°Why did he tell me you two got together this month?¡± Hearing Lin Jiao¡¯s answer, Lin Hongyuan looked at Pei Zhi. Pei Zhi said calmly, ¡°You might have heard wrongly.¡± He did not look like he was lying, so Lin Hongyuan did not think much of it. ¡°How did you two meet?¡± Lin Jiao said, ¡°He¡¯s Yn¡¯s uncle.¡± Afraid that he wouldn¡¯t remember her, she exined, ¡°The one in the same dormitory as me.¡± ¡°The one who once came to our house?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Lin Hongyuan had an impression of Pei Yn now. He swallowed the food in his mouth and clinked sses with Pei Zhi again. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Almost thirty.¡± ¡°Your parents are not nagging at you to get married?¡± ¡°They are.¡± Pei Zhi understood what he meant. He held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand that was on the table. ¡°Jiaojiao is still young. I want to think about marriage after she turns 25.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Lin Hongyuan nodded in satisfaction. He picked up the porcin bowl and took two mouthfuls of rice. From time to time, he would chat with him, making the atmosphere even more harmonious. Only Fang Yanwen could not blend in with them. She kept stealing nces at Pei Zhi. To avoid being discovered, she had no choice but to talk to Lin Jiao. ¡°Sister Jiao.¡± When they returned to the living room, she took out her phone from her pocket. ¡°Can we add each other on WeChat?¡± Lin Jiao did not refuse. She scanned the QR code. Before she could send a friend request, Fang Yanwen leaned forward. ¡°Brother Pei, can I add you too?¡± She stretched out her right hand, her voice charming and sweet. Pei Zhi felt his scalp tingle when he heard her call him ¡®brother¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my friend list is full.¡± If not for the fact that she had a rtionship with the Fang family, he would not even be bothered to find an excuse. ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡± After being rejected, Fang Yanwen retracted her hand. She epted Lin Jiao¡¯s friend request and asked when the Fang couple was not around, ¡°Then do you have other social media apps?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Brother Pei, you¡¯re so old-fashioned.¡± Pei Zhi took a deep breath to stop himself from ring up. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He lowered his head and kissed Lin Jiao¡¯s cheek, his expressionpletely different from before. ¡°Can we have a walk outside?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao held his hand. She said to Lin Hongyuan and walked out of the front yard along the stone path. Pei Zhi sat down on the bench by the fountain. Perhaps because she could feel what was on his mind, before he could mention the annoying girl in the room, Lin Jiao, who was nestled in his arms, spoke. ¡°Uncle, do you hate her?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Because she called you brother?¡± She wrapped her arms around his thin waist and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Partly.¡± ¡°What about the rest?¡± ¡°She has designs on me.¡± Pei Zhi had seen too many simr women like that and could guess at a nce what they were thinking. He stroked her long hair. ¡°Don¡¯t interact with her in the future. You can¡¯t befriend someone like her.¡± ¡°I know.¡± She had no intention of making friends with Fang Yanwen. Lin Jiao soothed his frown and brushed her warm fingertips across his face. ¡°Have you always been so popr with women?¡± ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi pinched her cheek. ¡°Why do I smell jealousy?¡± Chapter 102 - 102 Can You Like Me a Little More? 102 Can You Like Me a Little More? ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with your nose.¡± Lin Jiao refused to admit that she was jealous and didn¡¯t allow him to mention it. Looking at that sulky face, Pei Zhi chuckled. He asked, ¡°Do you remember what day we were officially together?¡± ¡°August 12th. Have you forgotten?¡± !! ¡°No. I just want to reminisce.¡± Seeing that he was immersed in his memories, Lin Jiao remembered how sweet they were at that time. ¡°Even if you didn¡¯t tell me your feelings, I would have done so sooner orter.¡± Pei Zhi looked into her eyes. Sometimes, he could not tell if her memories were mixed up or if she was really in love with him. He pressed his forehead against hers, his voice like a cello being yed by the moonlight. ¡°Jiaojiao, can you like me a little more?¡± He did not expect her to like him as much as he liked her. He only hoped that she would not leave him easily. ¡°Of course.¡± Lin Jiao acutely sensed his uneasiness and tightened her grip on him. She lifted her chin to kiss his eyshes. ¡°I¡¯ll like you more every day than the day before.¡± ¡°What if you can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you that sure?¡± He looked at her face under the sun and asionally touched it with his fingertips. Tickled by his caressing, Lin Jiao tilted her head. ¡°Unless you flirt with someone behind my back, I can definitely do it.¡± ¡°Who can I flirt with?¡± ¡°Those women.¡± Pei Zhi lifted her up on his knees and moved his palm down from the back of her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want any other women.¡± ¡°What if they pester you?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t. I won¡¯t give anyone a chance.¡± The words ¡°I won¡¯t give anyone a chance¡± won Lin Jiao¡¯s heart more than all the sweet nothings. She smiled in satisfaction and returned to the Fang family vi with him. ¡°Jiaojiao, try this.¡± Fang Liu heard their voices and brought out the freshly baked cake. While handing Lin Jiao a spoon, she did not forget to give one to Fang Yanwen. Unfortunately, Fang Yanwen did not appreciate it at all. ¡°I¡¯m very full. Forget it.¡± Perhaps it was because she was in a bad mood, but she didn¡¯t even want to look at the cake. Fang Liu caught the frustration in her eyes. ¡°Yanwen, what¡¯s wrong with you today?¡± Ever since she came downstairs, she seemed to have changed into a different person and be strange. Fang Yanwen found an excuse. ¡°I¡¯m on period.¡± ¡°Do you feel ufortable?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Afraid that she would feel ufortableter, Fang Liu stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go make you a cup of brown sugar ginger tea.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Fang Yanwen replied casually. She opened Lin Jiao¡¯s Moments again and asked in confusion, ¡°Sister Jiao, why are your moments hidden?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°I want to see your photo.¡± Lin Jiao fed Pei Zhi a spoonful of cake and said calmly, ¡°I rarely take selfies.¡± ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°Very little, too.¡± ¡°Then do you have photos with you two in it?¡± Fang Yanwen¡¯s gaze stopped on his face. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Send me a few?¡± She had already thought of what software to use to separate them from the photos. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips and said in a low voice, ¡°The photos we took are too personal to share.¡± Fang Yanwen understood what she meant. She dug her nails into her palms, disgust growing in her heart. ¡°Are you living together?¡± ¡°Is that strange?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem right to live together before marriage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to judge if it¡¯s good or not.¡± Pei Zhi looked at her coldly. A strong pressure came at Fang Yanwen. The moment she met his eyes, she felt a chill run down her spine. She couldn¡¯t figure out why his attitude could switch so quickly and utterly between her and Lin Jiao, but he didn¡¯t seem to give her a chance to continue exploring him anymore. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lin Hongyuan walked to the living room in a pair of dark blue pajamas after taking a nap. ¡°We were talking about why you haven¡¯t woken up yet.¡± ¡°Did I sleep long?¡± Lin Jiao pushed the cake and teacup to him without even looking at Fang Yanwen. ¡°It¡¯s been almost two hours.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get sleepy easily when I drink.¡± Lin Hongyuan yed with the Bodhi bracelet. When he fully woke up, he called Lin Jiao to take a walk in the courtyard. ¡°Jiaojiao, how has your grandfather been recently?¡± ¡°Pretty good.¡± ¡°Is he still objecting toing back to the city?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask about that.¡± Lin Jiao sat on the swing with him and swayed forth and back. She turned to look at him. ¡°Do you miss him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Hongyuan lowered his voice. If one did not listen carefully, they would not be able to hear him. He lowered his head and lit a cigarette. He looked at the flowers, his eyes sad, and said like a child, ¡°I want to give him a birthday party.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still far from December.¡± ¡°Not really. Two months will pass in a sh.¡± Lin Jiao could tell what he was thinking. She asked softly, ¡°Do you want me to help you with that?¡± Lin Hongyuan was silent for a long time. The white smokeing out of his mouth covered his expression. He sighed and said, ¡°Your grandfather is getting old. I¡¯m afraid if I lose this chance, I might never get it again.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Lin Jiao swallowed the words in her throat. She held his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to get you to meet him before December.¡± ¡°Are you confident?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have faith in me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± He was just not confident that the old man woulde. Seeing that the worry on his face was still there, Lin Jiao pulled the swing rope and swung it forward. When Lin Hongyuan, who suddenly lost gravity, heard the creaking sound, he stopped letting his mind wander about. ¡°Oh no.¡± Smelling something burning, he quickly patted the sparks off his pajamas. ¡°My clothes are burnt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who asked you to smoke.¡± ¡°Stop it now!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know you can stop it by cing your foot on the ground?¡± Lin Hongyuan was speechless. Hearing themotion outside the door, Fang Liu quickly went out to take a look and brought the father and daughter back to the living room with a smile. The harmonious atmospherested until evening. The sound of bidding farewell was blown away by the wind. The ck Mercedes parked outside the vi also drove off to the Red Maple Forest before nightfall. Lin Jiao walked into his house again. She copsed on the sofa and looked at Pei Zhi, who was standing beside the central air conditioner. ¡°Uncle, does your father want me to go and see him in the old mansion?¡± ¡°Yes, he said it before November.¡± ¡°Do you know what it¡¯s about?¡± Pei Zhi repeated what his father said to him at that time. He turned up the AC in the room and slowly loosened the tie around his neck. ¡°When do you n to go back with me?¡± ¡°Next week.¡± Lin Jiao kicked away her slippers. She hugged the pillow and thought of Lin Kanglu¡¯s rtionship with Pei Zhen. Her eyes lit up. ¡°Your father should know a lot.¡± ¡°After all, they used to berades for fifteen years.¡± Pei Zhi threw the tie aside and poured her a ss of juice. He walked to her side and ru Chapter 103 - 103 Asking Her to Write a Letter of Guarantee 103 Asking Her to Write a Letter of Guarantee ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao took two sips of juice. She grabbed his tie and looked up at him. ¡°Uncle, can you help me move my things over tomorrow?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Pei Zhi looked away. ¡°I told you before that we can only live together before marriage.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleep in the guestroom? How about that?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s not about where you sleep.¡± He held her hand tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it in the future, okay?¡± Lin Jiao really did not understand. ¡°I just want to spend more time with you. Is it that difficult?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. I¡¯ll be with you every day.¡± ¡°Other than weekends and weekdays, you can only spend less than four hours with me a day. That includes dinner and the journey to and from thepany. For the rest of the time, we can¡¯t see each other at all.¡± Pei Zhi knew that arguing with her wasn¡¯t gonna get them anywhere. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, trying to calm her down. ¡°I promise I¡¯ll spend more time with you from today onwards. I¡¯ll agree to anything you want to do. Is that okay?¡± Lin Jiao almost lost herposure when she met those gentle eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again and again. Her voice was extremely soft. ¡°Then let me move in.¡± This time, it was Pei Zhi¡¯s turn topromise. While he still had a trace of rationality, he tilted his head to avoid her kissing. ¡°Jiaojiao, give me time to think about it.¡± ¡°How long do you have to think about it?¡± ¡°Half¡­ five months.¡± Lin Jiao broke free from his grip and walked to the coffee table in her slippers, preparing to resort to n B. Seeing that she was walking towards the entrance with her bag in hand, Pei Zhi quickly stopped her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Find someone else.¡± ¡°Who is the someone else?¡± ¡°Someone who¡¯s willing to live together with me.¡± Before Lin Jiao could touch the door handle, he carried her back to the living room. Pei Zhi held her hands and locked them behind the back of her head. His eyes were unfathomable and his voice sounded like it was forced out of his throat. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯ll find¡ª¡± A strong kissnded on her lips before she could finish. Lin Jiao, who was held in ce, couldn¡¯t move. She narrowed her eyes and subconsciously held his hand. When Pei Zhi¡¯s anger was appeased, the woman in his arms had a pink blush on her face and looked extremely pitiful. He asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Are you still going to do that?¡± ¡°No¡­ I won¡¯t find anyone else.¡± ¡°Write me a letter of guarantee.¡± Lin Jiao thought that she had heard wrongly. When he ced the pen and paper in front of her, she was sure he was not joking. ¡°How do I write this?¡± Pei Zhi decided to solve all the problems at once. ¡°First, write that you will not find anyone else.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the pen and wrote, ¡°I promise not to find another man other than Pei Zhi.¡± She looked up. ¡°What about the second one?¡± ¡°Promise to go back home on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday every week.¡± ¡°Can I live with you on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday then?¡± ¡°Only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.¡± Under her excited gaze, Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°As for Sunday, it depends.¡± Lin Jiao was afraid that he would suddenly go back on his word, so she quickly wrote the second condition. She shifted her seat. ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll only kiss me once before going to bed.¡± ¡°I object.¡± ¡°Your objection is invalid.¡± Pei Zhi did not want to go too far before she recovered. After urging Lin Jiao to finish writing, he pinched her chin and gave her a kiss as a reward. ¡°It¡¯s time to press your fingerprint.¡± ¡°Do you have an ink pad?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Lin Jiao waited for him toe back with the ink pad and pressed her thumbprint on the signature without hesitation. She took the tissue from him and wiped the red mark on her finger. ¡°Do you want to take a look?¡± Pei Zhi read from beginning to end. As if he had thought of something, he put the letter back down. He said gently, ¡°Add one more.¡± ¡°Add what?¡± ¡°I promise to be responsible for Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Do I need to promise that?¡± She was not someone who would abandon someone she loved. ¡°You do.¡± Lin Jiao listened to him. She added the fourth one and drew a little heart at the end. She looked up and asked him, ¡°Do you keep it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi locked the letter in the safe in the study and found time to frame it. He carried Lin Jiao to the sofa. When he picked up the remote control, he nced at the bag on the coffee table. ¡°How many clothes did you bring?¡± ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Dreeses?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao leaned over to pick up the bag and opened it for him. ¡°I only have a change of underwear.¡± Pei Zhi retracted his gaze. He shook off the image that appeared in his mind and refused to be controlled by desire. ¡°Can you still wear it after leaving it there for so long?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao leaned on his chest. ¡°Aunt Fang disinfected it for me when I left.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a machine that specializes in disinfection.¡± Pei Zhi found the machine she was talking about online and ced an order on the one with the best performance. Afraid that he might not be fully prepared, he handed the phone to her and let her choose the necessities. ¡°Done.¡± Lin Jiao was very fast. In less than twenty minutes, she even bought a pair of couple¡¯s pajamas. She tightened the nket around their waists. ¡°I want to watch a costume drama.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d never watch that again?¡± ¡°When did I say that?¡± ¡°Last time.¡± Seeing that she really did not remember, Pei Zhi did not deliberately help her retrieve that memory. He turned on the screen. ¡°Which one do you want to watch?¡± Chapter 104 - 104 Congratulate on Your Joining the Film Crew 104 Congratte on Your Joining the Film Crew ¡°Getting in a Wrong Sedan Chair.¡± ¡°Which episode?¡± ¡°First.¡± Lin Jiao stared at the LCD screen. ¡°This show was very popr before. I haven¡¯t seen it yet.¡± Pei Zhi yed it without looking at the introduction. He pressed against the top of her head and watched the crippled prince give up on himself. Perhaps it was because he was too bored, he leaned against the soft pillow and fell asleep. Lin Jiao turned to look at him and picked up her phone to check the message from Pei Yn. ¡°Good news! I kissed him!¡± Back to an hour ago. Pei Yn carried the thermos to the filming site. Under the guidance of the staff, she found Jiang Ye¡¯s lounge and knocked gently on the door. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Jiang Ye, who was reading the script, sat casually on the sofa without looking up. He was wearing a white coat, and his long hair hung on both sides of his shoulders. When he looked down, one could vaguely see the scars on his handsome face. ¡°Did you just finish filming a fight scene?¡± Pei Yn put down the thermos and stared at the wound on his cheek. Hearing a familiar voice, Jiang Ye, who was immersed in the script, returned to reality and looked up at the pair of concerned eyes. ¡°Yes.¡± He walked to the water dispenser and filled a cup for her. ¡°Two more tonight.¡± This drama was about the male protagonist bing the disciple of a revered Master Master and his journey to be one as well as the interesting things that happened in the pce. The role Jiang Ye took on had much more fighting scenes than other roles. Pei Yn took the cup from him and asked, ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Probably until four or five.¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t be able to sleep.¡± ¡°I can sleep tomorrow morning.¡± Jiang Ye was quite used to staying up for shooting. He looked at the thermos. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Bone soup.¡± Before Pei Yn left, she specially asked the chef to make it. ¡°Eat it when you¡¯re hungry tonight.¡± Every thoughtful action of hers left a mark on the wall that Jiang Ye had built in his heart. He met her gaze. ¡°Thank you.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s heart ached when she saw the scar on his face move every time he smiled. She carefully touched his cheek. ¡°Will it be dangerous during filming?¡± ¡°No, the production team did a good job in ensuring safety.¡± Jiang Ye felt a little ill at ease when she touched him, but he did not shun away from her. Pei Yn was relieved. She casually nced at his lips and moved closer to him. ¡°Do you have a kissing scene with the female protagonist?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what interaction do you have?¡± ¡°Hugging and holding hands.¡± Jiang Ye drank half a ss of water. ¡°There are very few romantic scenes in this drama. Our interactions only happen towards the end.¡± ¡°Is she pretty?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Seeing that there was no emotion in his eyes, Pei Yn was no longer worried about them falling in love. She chatted with him about the story of the drama and nned to pave the way for her next move. ¡°Jiang Ye, I have a gift for you.¡± ¡°Why do you want to give me a gift?¡± ¡°To congratte you¡­ on your joining the film crew.¡± She rubbed the paper cup, and before she could make the move, her heart suddenly beat faster. ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Jiang Ye smiled, his voice as gentle as ever. ¡°You¡¯ve already done a lot for me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s different this time.¡± ¡°Different in what way?¡± Pei Yn took a deep breath. She leaned towards him, not expecting him to suddenly turn around. The kiss that should havended on the side of his facended on his lips, catching both of them off guard. The sound of her heartbeat was magnified several times and was audible in this quiet room. Jiang Ye did not expect her to kiss him. He stared at her face in front of him. The tips of his ears were extremely hot like they were on fire. ¡°You¡­¡± He gulped. Before he could ask, she held the bag beside her and blushed like a freshly cooked tomato. ¡°This is my gift. Bye.¡± Jiang Ye opened his mouth slightly, his eyes still wide open in shock. ¡°Thank¡­ you.¡± In order to hide his embarrassment, he picked up the script and turned the pages calmly. ¡°Be careful on the way.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Pei Yn felt like she was stepping on clouds with every step she took. She got into the car parked at the side of the road and screamed excitedly like a groundhog. After shouting until her throat was dry, she clicked on the group chat excitedly to share her joy with her besties. Lin Jiao: ¡°Where did you kiss him?¡± Qian Yue: ¡°I guess face.¡± ¡°No!¡± Pei Yn kept typing on the keyboard. As she stomped her feet, she told them what happened. ¡°His lips are so kissable!¡± Qian Yue: ¡°Then go back again?¡± Pei Yn, ¡°He¡¯s not prepared yet. I don¡¯t want to scare him. Shy.jpg¡± ¡°Are you talking about this kind of preparation?¡± Qian Yue sent a few suggestive GIFs in a row, sessfully changing the topic. ¡°Pajamas on the second GIF! Salivating.jpg, I think all of us need one of those.¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll find out where to buyter.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Jiaojiao?¡± ¡°Probably being kissed? Smirking emoji¡± Aftering back from the washroom, Lin Jiao started reading the chat. The more she read, the hotter her face became. She clicked on a spanking GIF and was about to add it to her collection when she heard a deep voice. ¡°I see. You are into this kind of thing.¡± Pei Zhi wrapped his arm around her waist from behind and looked at the screen. ¡°No.¡± She closed the chat. ¡°I just find it interesting and want to save it.¡± Pei Zhi had reason to suspect that there were many more interesting things like that in her phone. He whispered into her ear, ¡°Jiaojiao, I want to see your sticker collection. Can I?¡± Lin Jiao, who could not stand being whispered, agreed. She looked down and opened it. ¡°Most of them are emoticons. There are very few GIFs.¡± As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Zhi¡¯s fingertips lingered on a few eye-catching stickers. When he zoomed in on it and saw what it was about, he looked up and stared at her meaningfully. ¡°Uncle, let me exin¡­¡± Lin Jiao did not expect her to have these stickers on her phone. She tugged at his sleeve and said nervously, ¡°I identally saved some. But I only sent them to my besties.¡± Pei Zhi closed the collection page. He held her loose cor and asked with an unreadable expression, ¡°Is that all you have?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± She usually got all her stickers and GIFs from Qian Yue. Chapter 105 - 105 Pretend It Didn’t Happen 105 Pretend It Didn¡¯t Happen He kissed her neck. ¡°Turn around.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°So that I can kiss you.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart melted when she heard that. She leaned against his chest and let him touch her affectionately under the dim moonlight. When the passionate kiss ended, she heard her heart beating in her ears, and she was filled with indescribable joy. ¡°It¡¯s time to take a shower.¡± Pei Zhi looked up at the clock on the wall and turned off the television. ¡°I¡¯ll reply to them first.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go run a bath.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao chatted with her besties for a while. She took out the underwear from the bag and walked to the sink. ¡°Uncle, where¡¯s theundry detergent?¡± ¡°The balcony,¡± Pei Zhi mopped the floor as he replied. He pointed at the blue tub on the shelf. ¡°Put the clothes in there. I¡¯ll wash themter.¡± Lin Jiao said softly, ¡°Help me close the door.¡± Seeing that she had taken off her sweater, Pei Zhi strode out of the master bedroom and closed the door. He walked to the window to smoke and reply to the missed call. ¡°Boss.¡± Without waiting for him to speak, Qu Shao took the initiative to report, ¡°Ven Olle only found out that one person has ns to return to the country.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°At the end of next month.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Zhi was not in a hurry. He tapped the ashtray twice. ¡°Have you settled the assets under He Qi¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°How did his parents react?¡± ¡°No reaction so far.¡± Qu Shao paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°His father has two illegitimate children outside. He probably won¡¯t help him.¡± ¡°Then get them to find something for He Qi to do.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Pei Zhi stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers. The smoke around him was blown away by the warm wind when he turned around. At the same time, He Qi, who was lying in the VIP ward, stared at the person he had been dreaming about and had no clue as to what was in store for him. He held the hand ced on the edge of the bed. ¡°Tian, what brought you here?¡± Su Tian did not withdraw her hand. ¡°I was doing hair with a friend nearby and happened to pass by.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Quan?¡± ¡°He¡¯s out socializing.¡± ¡°Does he know you¡¯re here?¡± He Qi yed with her fingertips, as if they were priceless gold. Ever since the hug that day, his desire had grown stronger, and even his actions were bolder than before. ¡°I haven¡¯t told him yet.¡± Su Tian moved the chair closer to him and asked in a low voice, ¡°Have you found out anything about Lin Jiao?¡± ¡°She was discharged from the hospital a long time ago.¡± ¡°Did the policee to see you?¡± He Qi sneered. ¡°Do you think she dares to call the police?¡± He took one more bold move to link his fingers with hers, enjoying the excitement that it brought. ¡°I mean what if¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no what if. If she¡¯s going to call the police, she¡¯d have done that long ago.¡± Su Tian was still afraid that the police would suddenlye looking for her. She looked up at him with her soft eyes. ¡°Will you protect me?¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°No matter what happens?¡± Su Tian¡¯s loving gaze made He Qi feel consumed by an urge to make her his woman. He gestured for her to sit on the bed. When he smelt the perfume on her body, he pulled her into his arms. ¡°He Qi¡­¡± Su Tian eximed. He Qi was so out of his mind that even her struggle looked cute to him. ¡°Just call me Qi.¡± ¡°Let go of me first.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He Qi pinched her chin and looked at her juicy lips. Sensing what he wanted to do, Su Tian pushed his shoulder with a red face. ¡°He Qi, don¡¯t be like this.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°You¡­ Mmph.¡± He Qi finally had a taste of what he had been longing for. He held the back of her head and went from probing to kissing passionately, wanting more and more. The unexpected kisssted a long time. Su Tian, whose eyes welled up with tears, quickly turned around. She sniffed. ¡°You¡¯re too much!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He Qi kissed away the tear and tightened his grip on her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll both die if Quan finds out.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t know anyway.¡± Su Tian couldn¡¯t help but sob. ¡°Whether he knows it or not, it¡¯s wrong for you to kiss me.¡± ¡°Then do you like me kissing you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it!¡± ¡°Really?¡± He Qi scratched her chin, his eyes looking like they wanted to wrap her up tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t believe what you said.¡± Su Tian did not reply. She got out of bed and took out the mirror from her bag to touch up her lipstick, refusing to let hime any closer. ¡°Tian.¡± He Qi held her hand and said, ¡°I won¡¯t do this to you anymore, okay? Don¡¯t be angry.¡± ¡°I can pretend that nothing happened just now, but there won¡¯t be a next time, understand?¡± ¡°Understood.¡± His eyes were filled with love and obedience. She sat back on the bed and ced her fingertips on the wounds on his arm. ¡°Did you find out about the group of people who kidnapped you to the boxing arena?¡± ¡°No.¡± A trace of ruthlessness shed across He Qi¡¯s eyes. ¡°My father is still investigating.¡± ¡°Who do you think did it?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll get to the bottom of it eventually.¡± Considering that he was still useful to her, Su Tian gave him a hug. Her warmth provided him morefort and relief than anything could bring. He Qi was even more eager to have her. ¡°I¡¯ll be discharged next Saturday. Are you free?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tian left quickly. She took a taxi back to Lufu Bay and changed out of her disinfectant-stained clothes. She sat in the living room and waited for Gu Quan to return. At one in the morning, footsteps sounded. Before Gu Quan could get close to the door of the vi, he vomited in the courtyard. His drunken state gave Su Tian a chance. ¡°Quan, let me help you upstairs.¡± She restrained the joy in her eyes and brought him back to his room. She found red ink and ced it on the bedside table. After kicking off her slippers, she fed him a few mouthfuls of water. ¡°Turn off the lights.¡± Gu Quan narrowed his eyes, clearly not used to the dazzling lighting from above. ¡°You haven¡¯t taken off your clothes yet.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Seeing that he wanted to lie back, Su Tian quickly hugged his arm and took nearly ten minutes to help him take his clothes off. She left a nightmp and stared at the face that fascinated her. ¡°Quan, who am I?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking you who I am.¡± Gu Quan frowned and nced at her. Perhaps because he was slow to react, he did not give her an answer for a long time. Su Tian repeated the question a few times before finally getting an answer. ¡°Su Tian.¡± The smell of alcohol on his breath made her heart race and she couldn¡¯t help butugh. Gu Quan ignored her strange behavior. As soon as he closed his eyes, he felt a warmth on his lips. ¡°Quan.¡± In order to carve a stronger memory in his brain, Su Tian deliberately whispered into his ear. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you ying dumb?¡± Gu Quan did not understand at all. Chapter 106 - 106 Setting a Wedding Date 106 Setting a Wedding Date A square bottle smashed into the trees outside the window, leaving remnants of the red ink on the branches. Gu Quan slept until noon. He opened his eyes as the phone rang. After talking to his secretary, he found a figure next to him who was not supposed to be there. Vague memories shed through his mind the next second. !! He leaned against the bed and stared at the face in a daze. ¡°Quan¡­¡± Su Tian, who woke upter, sheepishly grabbed a piece of nket and leaned into his arms. Her sexy morning voice brought Gu Quan back to his senses. He held her waist and looked at the marks on her neck. He felt guilty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I drank too muchst night.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ming you.¡± She buried her head in his neck. ¡°Can you rub my waist? It¡¯s a little sore.¡± ¡°Other than your waist, where else do you feel ufortable?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Gu Quan suddenly thought of something very important and stopped rubbing her waist. He thought for a moment and asked gently, ¡°Do you want a child?¡± At the mention of children, Su Tian¡¯s heart tightened. She knew that the possibility was slim, but she still refused to let go of thest chance. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get married at the end of the year?¡± ¡°At the end of this year?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan took on the responsibility and promised without hesitation. Seeing her look of disbelief, he smiled and kissed her cheek. ¡°Will you marry me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± When Su Tian replied, her eyes were red from tears. She hugged his waist tightly and enjoyed the feeling of being loved. ¡°Quan, marrying you is my biggest dream.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Tian, when do you think is a good day to get married?¡± Su Tian pondered for a moment. ¡°How about Christmas?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Then when are you going to bring me to see your parents?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll only be back next month.¡± Gu Quan caressed her waist. ¡°I¡¯ll make arrangements for you to meet as soon as possible.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Su Tian smiled sweetly. She climbed onto his body to kiss him and push him down on the bed. Amidst the happy moans andughter, the hidden crisis would surface and destroy her dream bit by bit. # A rainy day made people sleepy. A gust of cold wind blew into the nning department from the ss window. Lin Jiao closed the window and walked into the resting area. She yawned and opened the thermos on the table. After sniffing the fragrant pork trotter soup, she asked the one sitting opposite her seriously, ¡°Yn, aren¡¯t you sick of it yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick of it.¡± Pei Yn, who had been eating it on and off for a few months, was almost disgusted. She sighed. ¡°For the sake of bing more charming, I have no choice.¡± ¡°Have you noticed any changetely?¡± ¡°Yes, what about you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao scooped up a spoonful of pork belly and chewed it carefully. ¡°I think we don¡¯t have to eat anymore.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll stop for a while?¡± ¡°How long is a while?¡± ¡°Two or three months?¡± Pei Yn picked up the soup. ¡°It¡¯s easy to gain weight during the winter. We can continue after spring.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao finished her lunch in a state of drowsiness. ¡°Yn, did you bring my key?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Pei Yn took out the key from her pocket. She leaned forward, eager to gossip. ¡°Did you try the thing on the GIF with him?¡± ¡°Which GIF?¡± ¡°Which one did you try?¡± ¡°Not a single one.¡± Lin Jiao wiped her lips. ¡°He refused to shower with me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to shower together. When the timees, put those pajamas on. It¡¯ll definitely be especially effective.¡± ¡°When will the pajamas arrive?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± Hearing that it was Wednesday, Lin Jiao nodded in satisfaction. She picked up the te filled with bone dregs and looked around for the trash can. ¡°Yn, is there a trash can behind your seat?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the safe passage to take a look.¡± ¡°And this.¡± Pei Yn grabbed the tissue on the table and followed her. The moment the door to the safe passage was pushed open, a cold wind swept over. They shivered and were about to open the trash can in the corner when their attention was attracted by the sobbing downstairs. Pei Yn stood on her tiptoes and looked down. She pointed at the man and asked Lin Jiao in a low voice, ¡°Have you seen him before?¡± ¡°I did this morning.¡± ¡°Who is him?¡± ¡°Pan Jun, the manager of the nning department.¡± Lin Jiao tightened her jacket and stood next to Lin Jiao. ¡°Isn¡¯t your manager called Wu something?¡± ¡°Wu Xiuwen is the assistant manager.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Pei Yn leaned forward, trying to see the woman sitting on the steps. The woman was still sobbing with her back hunched, looking extremely sad. She looked up. ¡°Did you really mention it to her?¡± ¡°Really.¡± Pan Jun squatted in front of her, his eyes honest. ¡°I made myself very clear to her.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t she agree then?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t say why.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± She was so choked up that she could not speak clearly. ¡°Continue to put it off? Until our child is born?¡± ¡°Lan, calm down.¡± Pan Jun patted her back to calm her down and stop her from crying. ¡°How can I calm down? When my pregnancy bes visible two monthster, how can I answer when people ask me who the father of my child is?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make you wait that long.¡± ¡°How can you guarantee that?¡± Zhao Lan was afraid that the child would not be able to take it if she cried too hard, so she gradually stopped sobbing. Pan Jun kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll file awsuit in court this month.¡± ¡°What if the verdict doesn¡¯t allow for divorce?¡± ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll think of another way. If I had to, I would just give her half of the assets. That way, she¡¯ll definitely agree.¡± Zhao Lan took a deep breath. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just give it to her? It won¡¯t be good to either of you if this matter goes to court.¡± ¡°If I bring this up now, she¡¯ll only ask for more than half of the assets. It¡¯ll be easier to negotiate through legal procedures.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind you giving her a little more.¡± ¡°I mind.¡± Pan Jun ced his hand on her belly and stroked it gently. ¡°There are many things that a child needs money for.¡± Seeing that he was determined, Zhao Lan did not stop him. She leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Brother Jun, the child and I will wait for you. Don¡¯t disappoint us, okay?¡± Pan Jun replied affectionately, ¡°No matter how difficult it is, nothing can stop me from being with you.¡± Looking at her stomach, he continued, ¡°When youe out, Daddy will buy you all the toys in this world.¡± Chapter 107 - 107 Emotional Breakdown 107 Emotional Breakdown ¡°He doesn¡¯t understand yet.¡± ¡°I have to say it even if he doesn¡¯t understand.¡± Zhao Lan burst outughing. She cupped his cheeks and kissed his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s go home together after work? I¡¯ll cook tonight.¡± !! ¡°With me around, do you need to cook?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait to eat?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pan Jun picked her up. ¡°There¡¯s still an hour and a half. Shall I take an afternoon nap with you?¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°In my office.¡± Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, Lin Jiao quickly pulled Pei Yn back to the resting area. Two colleagues were also there making tea, so it was not convenient for them to talk. They looked at each other and sat there like they were on pins and needles. After their colleagues left, Pei Yn, who was about to be suffocated, quickly said, ¡°Jiaojiao, that was Zhao Lan, right?¡± ¡°It sounds like her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous! The two of them look like they have nothing to do with each other, but who would have thought that they have such a rtionship in private?¡± Lin Jiao did not expect this either. She recalled their interaction and a trace of disgust shed across her eyes. ¡°He even cheated on his wife and got someone pregnant. How disgusting.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Yn pursed her lips. ¡°Pan Jun is just like that bastard.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s that bastard?¡± ¡°Gu Quan.¡± Hearing this name, Lin Jiao¡¯s mind buzzed, and countless memories that she had put on the back of her mind came up again. She frowned, and her face turned pale. Even her hand that was holding the cup was trembling. ¡°Jiaojiao?¡± ¡°Pa¡ª¡± The ss she swung off the table sent shards flying. Pei Yn was so scared that her heart tightened. She quickly walked to her side and grabbed her shoulder. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you feeling unwell?¡± Lin Jiao came back to her senses and grabbed Pei Yn, holding her tighter and tighter like she was clenching at thest straw. ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± She pursed her lips and burst into tears.¡± Yn, I didn¡¯t cheat on Pei Zhi. ¡± Pei Yn waspletely puzzled. She hurriedly took out a tissue and wiped the tears from the corners of Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes. ¡°Jiaojiao, did you get confused?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°Then why did you say that?¡± Lin Jiao, whose mind was in a mess, did not say anything. She pushed Pei Yn¡¯s hand away and rushed upstairs, but she stopped at the door of the CEO¡¯s office. The courage she could not muster and the fear of being given up were like dark clouds hanging over her head, making it difficult for her to breathe. Until¡­ The door opened to reveal dazzling light, and she was pulled into a warm embrace. Pei Zhi carried her to the sofa. He stared at her tearful face and coaxed her patiently until she stopped crying. ¡°Jiaojiao, why are you crying?¡± ¡°I used to¡ª¡± ¡°Used to what?¡± Lin Jiao looked up at him and buried her head in his chest again, muttering, ¡°I¡¯ve been in a rtionship with someone else.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Pei Zhi held her cold hand and roughly guessed why she broke down. ¡°What happened in the past stays in the past.¡± ¡°But I feel terrible.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what happened between you and someone else. As long as you belong to me now, that¡¯s enough.¡± Lin Jiao sniffed. As if wanting to see his expression, she met his smiling gaze. ¡°Do you really not mind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be angry with me either?¡± Pei Zhi kissed her eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Chapter 108 - 108 To Grow Old Together 108 To Grow Old Together After receiving his affirmative answer, Lin Jiao was finally able to pull herself together. The voice that came out of her mouth was hoarse and serious. ¡°I didn¡¯t do that kind of thing with him.¡± ¡°What kind of thing?¡± ¡°That kind.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. He pinched her cheek, but before he could speak, he heard her say, ¡°You can take me to do a checkup if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°I believe you.¡± Afraid that she would do something stupid, he spoke confidently. Only then did Lin Jiao stop dwelling on that. She hugged his neck and watched him take off her shoes and socks. Her heart warmed. ¡°I was afraid you would break up with me just now.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Pei Zhi ced the socks on the other side of the sofa and covered her with a nket. He leaned back. ¡°Only you can dump me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t dump you either.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re left with one option.¡± ¡°To grow old together?¡± Seeing him nod, Lin Jiao smiled brightly. She adjusted her posture. No matter how soft the pillow was, she only liked leaning against Pei Zhi. ¡°I still have to wait eight months to be twenty-five years old.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t wait anymore?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Pei Zhi did not want to wait either. But what he wanted more was for her to recover. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital for a checkup next month.¡± ¡°My head doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°You have to go even if it doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Lin Jiao touched the back of her head and did not refuse. She looked at the ss window and felt sleepy again. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep for a while.¡± ¡°You want to sleep here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She couldn¡¯t be bothered to take off her clothes again. Pei Zhi went to the lounge to bring out the nket and waited for her to take off her coat and lie down before tucking her in. The rm rang three minutes early. Lin Jiao, who hadn¡¯t had enough sleep, yawned and only managed to think when Pei Zhi brought her a ss of warm water. She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. ¡°I¡¯m going back.¡± Pei Zhi was caught off guard. He sent her to the door of the CEO¡¯s office and followed her with his eyes. ¡°Slow down. Don¡¯t rush.¡± The employees who were about to get back to work were struck dumb when they heard that. They looked at Lin Jiao who ran past them and wanted to gossip, but they did not dare to. They could only discuss in the department¡¯s group chat. ¡°Who has insider information? Is she President Pei¡¯s girlfriend?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it¡¯s very likely.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that shees up every afternoon? And Assistant Qu never stops her.¡± ¡°Looks like I¡¯ll have to call her Mrs. Pei.¡± ¡°So which department is Mrs. Pei in?¡± Lin Jiao, who did not know that their rtionship had been exposed, rushed back to the nning department to carry out a new round of work. She focused on typing on the keyboard and continued to edit the proposal that she had not finished in the morning before sending it to Wu Xiuwen as soon as possible. Wu Xiuwen called her into the office twenty minutester. He took out two resumes. ¡°Two new employees wille to report tomorrow. You and Zheng Yi will be in charge of each.¡± ¡°Can I choose?¡± ¡°You can discuss this with him.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao listened carefully to the advice he gave on her proposal. After that, she returned to her desk with a new mission. She showed the two resumes to Zheng Yi and pointed at the short-haired girl. ¡°Brother Zheng, can I choose her?¡± Zheng Yi read the resumes from beginning to end. He raised his chin at the boy. ¡°She¡¯s not as experienced as he is. It might be more tiring for you to teach her.¡± Chapter 109 - 109 I Want to Get Back What I Felt At That Time 109 I Want to Get Back What I Felt At That Time ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just have to put in more effort.¡± ¡°Alright then.¡± He sent her a document. ¡°Just exin these to her. Of course, you can add in some details.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± She finished reading the instruction word for word. After her new colleague came to report the next day, Lin Jiao brought her to sit at the desk beside her. The first impression that Meng Xi, the new employee, gave people was that she was a rich youngdy who had grown up with a silver spoon in her mouth. She put down hertest LV Bagatelle handbag and looked around. ¡°Senior, what do I do next?¡± ¡°Read the documents first.¡± Lin Jiao took out the documents she read on her first day of working here and piled them in front of her. ¡°This many?¡± ¡°More is yet toe.¡± Meng Xi asked with uncertainty, ¡°Do I have to finish all of these today?¡± ¡°Before Monday.¡± ¡°And after that?¡± ¡°Make a proposal ording to the project.¡± After Lin Jiao finished exining the assessment process, she emphasized what she needed to pay attention to. Just listening to it gave Meng Xi a headache. She leaned on the table and opened the firstpany introduction document. Halfway through, she leaned over and asked her, ¡°Have you seen Sheng Heng¡¯s CEO?¡± ¡°What about him?¡± ¡°I heard he¡¯s very good-looking.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Lin Jiao continued to work undistracted with a calm expression. Lin Jiao obviously had no intention of gossiping, so Meng Xi could only stop and focus on the boring documents. After the morning passed, she followed Lin Jiao to the cafeteria. ¡°Senior, do you usually eat at thepany?¡± ¡°Very rarely. I onlye here about once a week.¡± ¡°Is the food here not delicious?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the te and picked up her favorite dishes. ¡°I came to spend time with my friend.¡± Her face looked radiant when the sun shone on it, looking like a blooming rose. Attracted by such an unreal beauty, Meng Xi couldn¡¯t help but lean over to take a closer look at Lin Jiao¡¯s face. ¡°Have you ever been a beauty doctor?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No hyaluronic acid either?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao held the soup and found an empty seat by the window. ¡°None of my friends have done it.¡± Meng Xi found it hard to believe. She could understand that some people were unwilling to admit that they had done some job on their faces, so she stopped asking. ¡°What skincare products do you use?¡± ¡°Different brands for face cream and essence.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± Lin Jiao sent her a screenshot of the purchase order. She turned off the screen and ate two mouthfuls of rice. Then, she heard another vibration on her phone. As soon as she picked it up, Lan Ying¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you free toe for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°What time?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°Pick Jing up after work. I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao spat out the bone residue and took two sips of soup. ¡°Send me the address of the restaurant.¡± ¡°Jing knows the location. Get him to bring you there.¡± ¡°Can he find it?¡± ¡°I believe so.¡± Lan Ying had asked Xue Jing to memorize the locationst night. Thinking of something, she suddenly giggled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you tonight. Bye.¡± Lin Jiao waited for her to hang up. She picked up a piece of tender braised pork and narrowed her eyes in satisfaction as she chewed it slowly. Seeing that she enjoyed the pork so much, Meng Xi was tempted and picked up a piece. However, she spat it out in less than two seconds. ¡°This braised pork is too greasy. How can you even swallow it?¡± ¡°Is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s especially greasy! I almost vomited.¡± Lin Jiao felt it was alright. ¡°Then try something else.¡± She nced at the te in front of Meng Qian. ¡°The pork ribs are not bad. Try it.¡± ¡°I think it has a weird smell.¡± ¡°How about tomato scrambled eggs?¡± ¡°The eggs smell like they¡¯ve gone bad for weeks.¡± In the end, Meng Xi did not even touch the rice. Lin Jiao, who was not affected by her, finished the lunch in a good mood. She separated from Meng Xi at the entrance of the cafeteria and went upstairs to look for Pei Zhi. When she appeared, the employees, who had been tortured by curiosity for a long time, all looked over. One of the male colleagues went forward to express his concern. ¡°Mrs. Pei, have you eaten?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Do you like the food in the cafeteria?¡± ¡°Very much.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and did not correct the way he addressed her. She walked into the CEO¡¯s office under countless surprised gazes and closed the door to block out their whispers. Hearing the noise, Pei Zhi put down his coffee cup. He reached out to hug the little girl in his arms and tapped the tip of her nose with his fingertip. ¡°Are you tired from teaching the new colleague?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Lin Jiao moved her butt. ¡°She still needs to read a bunch of documents.¡± Her constant squirm made Pei Zhi very ufortable. He held her waist tightly to keep her in ce and said, ¡°Jiaojiao, I can¡¯t have dinner with you tonight.¡± ¡°Are you busy tonight?¡± ¡°My brother asked me to help him negotiate a deal.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re not allowed to drink.¡± Lin Jiao looked up and gently tugged at the tie. ¡°I promise you I won¡¯t.¡± He didn¡¯t dare disobey her. Pei Zhi kissed her forehead gently. ¡°I told Qu Shao to send you home.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao exined her n for the night. She rubbed his cor button. ¡°I¡¯ll call you after the dinner is over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Seeing that she had unbuttoned one of the buttons, Pei Zhi quickly held her hand. ¡°Stop being naughty.¡± The familiar tone reminded Lin Jiao of something. She wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting to get back the feeling she had back then. ¡°Carry me to the table.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just do it.¡± Pei Zhi had a bad feeling, but under that expectant gaze, he still chose to do as she said. He moved his coffee cup away. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Kiss me.¡± Lin Jiao leaned back and took the initiative to kiss him when he leaned over. Before Pei Zhi could understand what was going on, the buttons on his shirt were pulled open again. He stared at that beautiful face, his deep eyes looking like they were about to devour her alive. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He looked away to regain his rationality. ¡°I didn¡¯t lock the door.¡± ¡°Then go lock it.¡± ¡°Do I have to lock it?¡± He really couldn¡¯t figure out what she was up to, and he was afraid that things would go out of hands. ¡°Are you trying to reject me again?¡± ¡°No, but it¡¯s not really appropriate to do it here.¡± Lin Jiao sat up straight. She turned around and nced at him, not asking him to lock the door again. ¡°Then you have to kiss me like this next time.¡± He did not dare to agree. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± ¡°I heard you,¡± Pei Zhi replied with resignation. Without bothering to straighten his cor and tie, he carried her into the lounge. ¡°Sleep first. I still have work to do.¡± ¡°No more afternoon kisses?¡± Pei Zhi chuckled and left a gentle kiss on her forehead. Lin Jiao, who had received a kiss, buried her head in the pillow and closed her eyes in satisfaction. With disheveled clothes, Pei Zhi was sitting at his desk and drinking coffee in silence, his body unable to calm down just yet. Chapter 110 - 110 Meeting Pei Zhi on a Blind Date 110 Meeting Pei Zhi on a Blind Date Linxi Kindergarten. Rows of children carried their bags and followed the teacher to the door, waiting for their parents to pick them up. When the children from the junior ss to the senior ss were picked up, the children from the preschool also appeared behind the gate. Xue Jing, who saw his sister, stood on his tiptoes and waved at her, his eyes filled with joy. He was wearing an embroidered ck and white baseball jacket with khaki pants, looking like a young hipster. Lin Jiao held his hand and said goodbye to the teacher. When they had gone to a distance, she lowered her head and praised him, "Jing is especially handsome today." "Hanhan said the same." "Is she a good friend of yours?" "She used to be, but not anymore." Xue Jing stood by the road with her and waited obediently for the traffic light to turn green. "Why?" "I rejected her when she confessed to me today. She said that she would never be my friend again." Lin Jiao held his hand and crossed the road, paying attention to the cars around them. "Did you make her cry?" "No, she''s very strong." "Then do you still want to be friends with her?" Xue Jing shook his head and nodded. He thought for a moment. "I''ll make up with her when she falls in love with another ssmate." "What if she only likes you?" "Impossible. She has crushes on a lot of people." Lin Jiao chuckled. She did not ask any more questions. She hailed a taxi and asked him to tell the driver the address. "Sister." He lifted his head up and stared at her lips that weren''t red enough. "Do you want to put on some lipstick?" "I already did." "Then apply more makeup." Lin Jiao, who thought that her makeup was smudged, took out a mirror from her bag to take a look. "It''s already enough. I don''t wanna scare people with heavy makeup." "No, you won''t" Xue Jing pushed aside the long hair on her shoulder and insisted that she apply some more makeup. Lin Jiao had no choice but to go through the motion. She turned around. "Is this enough?" "Yes," Xue Jing replied seriously. He leaned against the car window to look at the view shing past outside. The taxi stopped at the entrance of an alley in the old city. The mottled walls and the not-so-t road added a different feeling to the alley. The sound of pedestrians talking andughing, the bell of bicycles, and the sound of vendors selling goods entered their ears. It was inexplicably lively. "Jing, are we dining at a special restaurant tonight?" Lin Jiao held his hand and walked into the alley. "That''s right." "What''s the restaurant called?" "Valley House." Xue Jing led her to the restaurant and politely told the waiter the private room number. When they were following the waiter into the restaurant, he reminded Lin Jiao like an adult, "Sister, you have to watch your expression." "How?" "Smile more. Don''t pull a long face." The more Lin Jiao listened, the stranger she felt. Just as she was about to ask him, the waiter in front pushed open a door. What immediately came into view was a screen embroidered with beautiful mountains and rivers. A man''s figure was reflected on the screen. He was sitting sideways, and one could vaguely see his well-defined outline. "Hello." Xue Jing walked to the screen. He recited the lines he''dmitted to memory. "Xue Taiyao is my son. He asked me to bring my sister over for a blind date." "He''s your son?" "Yesa€| No, I''m his son." Lin Jiao, whose mind was buzzing, finally came back to her senses when she heard the man chuckle. She leaned closer to the screen to take a look. Both her intuition and that voice of the man reminded her of someone. She asked tentatively, "Uncle?" "Yes." Pei Zhi reached out a hand and waited for her soft palm to be ced on it. Xue Jing, who ran past the screen, was puzzled when he saw Pei Zhi. "Big Brother, why are you here?" "On a blind date with your sister." "Dad didn''t even tell me about this." "I just found out too." Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao exchanged a look and both of them understood what was going on. He picked up Xue Jing and ced him on the child''s seat. He poured him a ss of warm water. "Where are your parents?" "At home." "Aren''t theying over?" "No." Xue Jing held the cup with both hands. "Dad said that having me around to keep an eye on you, it''s enough." Lin Jiao rubbed his chubby face, feeling angry and amused at the same time. "When did you learn to lie to me?" "I didn''t lie to you." He said in all seriousness, "I told youst time that I would ask Dad to introduce a boyfriend to you." "When?" "When Mom was hospitalized." Lin Jiao retracted her hand and asked, "Then why didn''t you tell me on our way here?" "I wanted to give you a surprise." Xue Jing looked at Pei Zhi. "Dad said that he''s a good man." "What else did he say?" "He''s a good match for you." "That''s true." Pei Zhi smiled and raised an eyebrow. He handed the tablet to Lin Jiao and said to Xue Jing while she was ordering dishes, "I''m already with your sister." "Really?!" "Really." Xue Jing grinned happily until his eyes narrowed into a line. His gaze wandered between the two of them. "Brother-inw, when did you get together with my sister?" Pei Zhi was delighted to be called brother-inw. "August." He remembered the time Lin Jiao told him. "I forgot to tell you before." Xue Jing did not mind that he wasn''t informed. He only wished his sister wouldn''t die in loneliness. He asked many questions in a row and memorized all the answers so that when he went back home, he could report to his parents. "Let''s eat first." Lin Jiao scooped a spoonful of his favorite golden corn into his bowl. "I have one more question." "Ask away." "Will you two get married?" Xue Jing held the spoon, as if he wouldn''t eat unless he got an answer. "Yes," Pei Zhi replied firmly. He scooped a bowl of soup for the two of them. "When the timees, I''ll make you a ring-bearer, okay?" "I want to be a flower girl." "The flower girl is for girls." Only then did Xue Jing understand the difference between the two. He lowered his head and ate sweet corn as he thought about the scene of him being the ring-bearer. Lin Jiao and Pei Zhi were both amused by the serious look on Xue Jing''s face. When night fell, Pei Zicheng, who was worried that something would go wrong, couldn''t help but call Pei Zhi. He cleared his throat lightly. "Did you see her?" "I did." "How''s that?" "How''s what?" Pei Zhi looked at the hand that was holding the tissue and wiping the corner of his lips. Pei Zicheng could not tell if Pei Zhi was happy or angry just by his voice. He couldn''t be bothered to beat around the bush anymore. "Do you have any feelings for her?" "Yes, buta€|" "But what but? You''re almost 30 years old, and you still have the cheek to be picky? If you have a feeling for her, hurry up and grab the chance, understand?" Pei Zhi could imagine how anxious he was. "But." He deliberately paused and said with a smile, "We''ve already been together for a while." Chapter 111 - 111 Unexpected Gift 111 Unexpected Gift There was a long silence on the other end of the line. As if he thought he heard it wrong, Pei Zicheng asked again suspiciously, ¡°Are you already together?¡± ¡°We are.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not lying to me?¡± ¡°Ask Pei Yn if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Pei Zhi leaned back in his chair and drank the lemon water. ¡°Does she know that girl?¡± ¡°You know him too.¡± Hearing Lin Jiao¡¯s name, Pei Zicheng froze for a long time. When he heard that Xue Taiyao wanted to introduce his daughter to Pei Zhist night, he nodded and agreed without even asking for her basic information. Who knew¡­ ¡°Bring Jiaojiao back for a meal this week.¡± Pei Zicheng took a deep breath to calm himself down. ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi hung up. He went to pay the bill with Lin Jiao and hand in hand, they left the restaurant with Xue Jing. The lights in the alley were as warm as the sun. The two white cats yed on the roof, asionally letting out meows. Xue Jing squeezed between them. He looked up at the cat eyes that glowed green in the night. ¡°Why are they meowing?¡± ¡°THey might not be feeling well.¡± ¡°Do they need to be hospitalized?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao made it up. ¡°They can heal themselves. They¡¯ll be fine in two days.¡± ¡°How do they heal themselves?¡± ¡°When the new seasones, they will recover.¡± Seeing that Lin Jiao was deep in thought, Pei Zhi helped her answer. He pointed at the alley exit. ¡°Do you remember my car?¡± Xue Jing looked at the cars parked opposite. ¡°I do.¡± He followed them across the road and walked to the Mercedes first. He turned around with a grin. Lin Jiao praised him and sat in the back seat with him. ¡°Jing, do you want to go home or go to my ce?¡± She half opened the window to let air in. ¡°To your house.¡± Xue Jing looked at the window of a doll shop and suddenly thought of something. He leaned forward and said to Pei Zhi more tactfully, ¡°Brother-inw, the doll shop opposite doesn¡¯t have Boonie Bears.¡± Pei Zhi thought for a moment and understood. He stepped on the elerator and looked at the young face in the rearview mirror. ¡°I have it at home. Can I give it to youter?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Xue Jing¡¯s eyes lit up. Lin Jiao asked, ¡°Uncle, when did you buy him a doll?¡± ¡°Around the end of July.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a doll. It¡¯s a figurine.¡± Xue Jing corrected her. Pei Zhi told Lin Jiao about watching Boonie Bears with Xue Jingst time. They chatted happily along the way until they reached the parking lot of the Red Maple Forest. Pei Zhi opened the car door. ¡°I¡¯ll go up and get it first.¡± Xue Jing, who received instructions from Lin Jiao, quickly got out of the car He ran up to Pei Zhi and grabbed the corner of his shirt tightly with his right hand. ¡°Brother-inw, it¡¯s so stuffy in the car.¡± ¡°Do you want to go up and rest for a while?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Pei Zhi led them back to the neenth floor. He found the figurine on the shelf in the study and handed it to Xue Jing. ¡°Take a look. Do you like it?¡± Xue Jing eximed when he saw the figurines as if he had seen a treasure. He reached out and carefully took them out of the wooden box. ¡°I like it very very much!¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the top of his head. While Xue Jing was ying with the figurines, he went to the kitchen to wash a bowl of grapes and bring it out. He peeled the sweet and juicy grapes and fed them to Lin Jiao, making her lips sparkle with water and tempting. Chapter 112 - 112 Acting Together 112 Acting Together He looked down. ¡°Is it sweet?¡± ¡°Sweet.¡± ¡°Let me try.¡± Lin Jiao was about to peel one for him when she received a passionate kiss. !! With her lips sealed, she could not make a sound. She could only pull the nket over their heads to avoid being seen by Xue Jing. Two breaths intertwined in the small space. Pei Zhi savored the sweet fragrance and rubbed her waist through the knitted sweater, immersed in the moment. ¡°Sister?¡± A childish voice sounded. Xue Jing approached the corner and stared at the dark brown nket. ¡°Are you guys ying a game?¡± Lin Jiao pushed Pei Zhi out to let him answer the question. ¡°I¡¯m feeding your sister grapes.¡± ¡°Why do you have to cover your head when you eat grapes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s sweeter this way.¡± Pei Zhi recalled the sweetness that almost intoxicated him. He ced the pillow on Xue Jing¡¯s head and slowly peeled the grape skin. ¡°Try it.¡± Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but when Xue Jing chewed, he felt that it was much sweeter than ordinary grapes. He wiped the juice from the corner of his mouth and gently pulled open the nket on Lin Jiao¡¯s head. ¡°Sister, do you want to eat the grapes I feed you?¡± Lin Jiao nodded cooperatively. When he fed her, she raised her chin in Pei Zhi¡¯s direction and mouthed the words again. Having received the message, Xue Jing pounced on Pei Zhi. ¡°Brother-inw, I want to sleep here tonight. Can I?¡± ¡°What about your sister?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be here too.¡± Pei Zhi pretended not to know what they were up to and said with a straight face, ¡°Your sister might not want to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°She promised to go back home every Tuesday.¡± He looked at the calendar. ¡°Today is Tuesday.¡± Lin Jiao quickly stopped Xue Jing. ¡°Jing, forget it.¡± She took a step back. ¡°I¡¯ll take you back. Don¡¯t trouble him.¡± Xue Jing was about to nod when he saw her winking at him. He sat down on the carpet and straightened his neck. ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± ¡°Then you stay here. I¡¯ll go back.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Be good.¡± In order to avoid being seen through by Pei Zhi, Lin Jiao coaxed genuinely, ¡°I¡¯ll buy you candy, okay?¡± ¡°No!¡± Xue Jing refused firmly. He put down the figurines and moved his butt to Pei Zhi¡¯s feet to hug his leg. ¡°Brother-inw, I want to sleep with you.¡± Pei Zhi held back hisughter and looked at him for a few seconds. He opened a shopping app and typed in the words ¡°child¡¯s toothbrush¡± before saying, ¡°Pick one yourself.¡± He let go of his leg and clicked on the snack section after choosing a toothbrush. ¡°Can I buy candy?¡± ¡°Ask your sister.¡± ¡°You can only buy one lollipop.¡± Lin Jiao shook off her slippers and picked up the remote control. She found the costume drama that she did not finish watchingst time and moved to Pei Zhi¡¯s side. ¡°Uncle, I want to drink juice.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Pei Zhi walked to the counter and took out two boxes of apple juice. He put the straws in them one by one. When the opening song sounded, he hugged Lin Jiao andy back. The sound of Xue Jing ying with the figurines and the sound of the drama filled the room, but they seemed to be in perfect harmony. However, the good time was short-lived. As soon as the clock pointed to eleven, the lights in the living room and corridor went out one after another. After Xue Jing fell asleep, Pei Zhi got out of bed and went around to the other side, hugging his beloved girl. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead. With his back facing the moonlight, he apanied her to sleep. Chapter 113 - 113 You Want a Chance? Shameless 113 You Want a Chance? Shameless Early morning after the rain. After a short stop at the entrance of Linxi Kindergarten, a Mercedes-Benz drove to Sheng Heng¡¯s parking lot. After reaching the top floor, Pei Zhi made himself a cup of coffee as usual and sat at his desk to work. ¡°Boss.¡± Qu Shao knocked on the door. !! He reported what he discoveredst night. ¡°The employees on this floor know about your rtionship with Miss Lin. Do you need me to remind them?¡± ¡°Do people on other floors know too?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Pei Zhi took a sip of coffee. He looked up. ¡°She has a few proposals to make recently. Don¡¯t let anyone disturb her.¡± Qu Shao understood immediately. ¡°Sure.¡± He went outside to have a meeting with the employees and reminded them not to spread rumors. ¡°Assistant Qu, someone is looking for President Pei downstairs.¡± The female employee who received the call from the front desk stopped him in time. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°She said she¡¯s President Pei¡¯s sister.¡± Qu Shao was confused. He walked into the CEO¡¯s office with a document to sign and exined about this mysterious ¡®sister¡¯. ¡°Is her surname Fang?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t say.¡± Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. ¡°Ask her toe up.¡± He pointed at the sofa beside him. ¡°Sit there and record the conversation for me.¡± Qu Shao sat down and called the front desk. He casually lit a cigarette and asked out of curiosity, ¡°Boss, who¡¯s this Miss Fang?¡± ¡°Someone from the Lin family.¡± ¡°Miss Lin¡¯s sister?¡± ¡°Her stepmother¡¯s niece.¡± At the mention of her, Pei Zhi revealed undisguised disgust. Looking at his expression, Qu Shao knew roughly what it was about. Hearing the approaching footsteps, he looked at the door and sized up the figure that had barged in. She was probably in her early twenties and was considered delicate-looking but there was nothing special about her that would attract people. ¡°Brother Pei.¡± Fang Yanwen ignored the person on the sofa and ran towards the desk. Ever since her encounter with him that day, she couldn¡¯t shake him off her mind no matter what. Even though she had been treated coldly by him, she still wanted to give it a try to win his heart. Pei Zhi said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister.¡± At this moment, he was as cold as a cier, nothing like the way he was when he was with Lin Jiao. However, his indifference did not make Fang Yanwen give up. ¡°Have you had breakfast?¡± ¡°Cut to the chase.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so harsh on me.¡± She pulled out a chair and sat down. ¡°I know a few good restaurants nearby. Shall we go and eat together?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t even have fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you understand humannguage?¡± Pei Zhi threw the folder on the table and lost his patience. When a terrifying gaze shot at her, Fang Yanwen took a deep breath and suppressed her fear. She clenched her fists to mentally prepare herself before slowly saying, ¡°Can you give me a chance to chase you?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that I have a girlfriend?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I can control myself if I like someone¡­ Whether you have a girlfriend or not, I still want to try.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. He looked straight at her with a deep gaze. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between you and an animal if you can¡¯t even control something so basic as your emotion?¡± Beingpared to an animal, no matter how strong-willed Fang Yanwen was, she couldn¡¯t help but cry. She suddenly jumped up from her seat. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much to say that about me?¡± ¡°Your behavior is even worse.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m shameless simply because I like you, then doesn¡¯t that make Lin Jiao shameless too?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s face darkened. He ced his hands on the table. Perhaps because he was too angry, the veins on the back of his hands bulged. ¡°Say that again?¡± Chapter 114 - 114 He Felt Disgusted Just Looking at Her 114 He Felt Disgusted Just Looking at Her Fang Yanwen felt an unbearable pressureing on. Frightened, she stopped crying and leaned against the seat, not daring to take another look at him. She was truly afraid. She was so afraid that she wished she could take back what she just said. ¡°Are you even worthy of beingpared to her?¡± Pei Zhi looked at her disdainfully. His aura was sharp and oppressive. ¡°I find it disgusting to look at someone like you.¡± For a moment, Fang Yanwen felt like she was in a world of ice and snow and couldn¡¯t help but shiver. She couldn¡¯t care less about the humiliation he gave her. Out of fear, she subconsciously apologized. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Pei Zhi pointed at the door. ¡°Get lost.¡± After she fled, he sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyebrows, still in a fit of anger. ¡°Boss, have some water.¡± Qu Shao walked to the water dispenser to get a ss of warm water. Qu Shao understood what it felt like to be angry but couldn¡¯t vent the anger. However, he still reminded him, ¡°It¡¯s best if you let the Lin family take care of this matter.¡± Pei Zhi knew that, but he did not intend to let her off. He lit a cigarette and calmly listed a few possibilities in his mind. ¡°Edit the recording.¡± ¡°How do you want me to edit it?¡± ¡°Ditch thetter half of it.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao edited quickly. The moment he finished editing, the audio was forwarded to Lin Hongyuan¡¯s WeChat. After listening to the recording, Lin Hongyuan¡¯s blood pressure rose. He stopped what he was doing and drove home. He gritted his teeth and said to Fang Liu, ¡°Hurry up and call her back!¡± Fang Liu was equally angry if not more after listening to the recording. She opened her contact list with trembling fingers. Just as she dialed the number, Fang Yanwen returned. ¡°Where did you go?!¡± ¡°Shopping.¡± She changed into slippers and looked no different from usual. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Is Sheng Heng a good ce for shopping?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand.¡± Fang Liu pointed at her. ¡°Is that what your mother taught you? Seducing your cousin-inw? How shameless are you?¡± Fang Yanwen¡¯s face turned pale. She had thought about the consequences if they found out, but she was still indignant. ¡°What cousin-inw? Is Lin Jiao your biological daughter?¡± ¡°You can seduce her boyfriend just because she¡¯s not my biological daughter? Do you have any shame?¡± Fang Yanwen, who had been insulted over and over, red at her with hatred. Still furious, Fang Liu continued, ¡°I let you stay here out of kindness, and this is how you repay me? Even if you are not ashamed of yourself, I am!¡± ¡°I¡¯m ashamed of myself?¡± Fang Yanwen roared, ¡°When you seduced Lin Hongyuan to be his mistress, where was your sense of shame?¡± ¡°Pa¡ª¡± Fang Liu pped her. She held back the tears in her eyes and looked at Fang Yanwen as if she was looking at an ingrate. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you? That I¡¯m proud of ruining someone¡¯s rtionship? Fang Yanwen, you¡¯re simply evil!¡± ¡°Did I touch a raw nerve?¡± Fang Yanwen pushed aside the hair covering her eyes and covered her burning cheek. She red back at Fang Liu fiercely. ¡°You have the cheek to be a mistress but you don¡¯t have the face to admit it? What a b*tch!¡± Lin Hongyuan, who was so angry that his chest was heaving, pped her again with even more force than Fang Liu. He said with a dark expression, ¡°Your mother didn¡¯t teach you well, and we have no obligation to teach you either! Pack your things and get lost!¡± ¡°Do you think I want to stay here?¡± Fang Yanwen kicked the coffee table and turned around to go upstairs. She swallowed the blood in her mouth and knocked open the door of the second bedroom. Chapter 115 - 115 Threatening the Lin Family 115 Threatening the Lin Family Fang Yanwen said that she did not want to stay here. However, when she put the luxury items and jewelry on the bed, she started to regret it. Her family was not as well-off as the Lin family. Once she left, it meant that everything she had now no longer belonged to her. After struggling for a long time, Fang Yanwen decided to call her mother and went downstairs to apologize under her mother¡¯s suggestion. !! She disguised herself as a good girl. ¡°Aunt, I was too impulsive just now. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Fang Liu put away the antihypertensive pill. Hurt inflicted by words wouldn¡¯t heal that easily. She could not forgive her, let alone pretend it didn¡¯t happen. However, Fang Yanwen did not understand. She knelt down and said with tears in her eyes, ¡°I swear I¡¯ll never go to look for my cousin-inw again.¡± Fang Liu stood up and moved to the other side. ¡°You don¡¯t even have a cousin. How can you have a cousin-inw?¡± ¡°Can you forgive me for my words of anger and my ignorance.¡± ¡°You¡¯re already an adult. Didn¡¯t anyone teach you to be responsible for your words and actions?¡± The sarcasm in her eyes made Fang Yanwen clench her fists. ¡°Aunt, I really know my mistake.¡± Fang Liu waved her hand. ¡°You can leave.¡± ¡°You promised to take good care of me before, but now you¡¯re going back on your word?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have the ability to take care of yourself?¡± Fang Yanwen was speechless. She stared at the phone on the coffee table and said, ¡°How are you going to tell my mother about it?¡± ¡°Are you threatening me?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just asking.¡± Fang Liu was so angry that sheughed. She was not in the mood to waste her breath. She called the nanny in the kitchen and asked her to go upstairs to help Fang Yanwen pack up. Fang Yanwen, who was thinking hard about a solution, only came back to her senses when she saw the suitcase being carried down. She stared at the suitcase for a long time, knowing that there was no turning back. ¡°I can leave.¡± She stood up with a righteous expression. ¡°But, give me two million first.¡± Lin Hongyuan drank half a ss of water and took a deep breath to adjust his emotions to prevent his blood pressure from rising again. He took out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll get the police to give it to you!¡± ¡°How many years of sentence do you get for racketeering?¡± Fang Liu asked him, looking like she was genuinely curious. ¡°Over ten years if it¡¯s serious.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go check the surveince cameras.¡± After she rushed upstairs, Lin Hongyuan called the police and turned on the speaker as he exined the situation. Hearing the police¡¯s voice, Fang Yanwen did not dare to make a fuss anymore and scurried away with her suitcase. She returned to the old residential building. As she walked in the stairwell filled with debris and trash, her clean shoes were gradually covered in dust. The aunties sitting in the corridor were chatting. Their saliva seemed to be spraying on her, making her feel disgusted. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this Yanwen?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say some time ago that you would nevere back to this lousy ce again? What brought you here today?¡± ¡°She is probably chased out by that family?¡± ¡°She deserves it!¡± The mockingughter that rang out in her ears was like a silver needle covered in poison that pierced Fang Yanwen¡¯s heart. She opened the door silently and smashed the items in the bedroom to vent her anger. The mess on the ground showed how mad she was. She hugged her knees and sat on the sofa, looking at the setting sun in the west. She was like a numb puppet who could not even cry. Was she wrong? She was indeed wrong. She was wrong because she did not have a powerful background. Even being born into this family was wrong. ¡°Knock, knock¡ª¡± A knock on the door interrupted Fang Yanwen¡¯s thoughts. She walked to the door barefooted and turned the door knob. ¡°Who are you all?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an knocked into her shoulder and walked to the living room with her sisters. She crossed her arms and sat on the chair. ¡°Fang Yanwen, did you confess to my man?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Still ying fool?¡± Fang Yanwen subconsciously thought of a male ssmate who was in contact with her. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. I¡¯m not interested in your boyfriend.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not interested in him but you still seduced him?¡± ¡°Stop ndering me!¡± ¡°ndering?¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an sneered. When she thought of the anonymous recording, she was so angry that she kicked Fang Yanwen¡¯s leg. ¡°You even had a phone sex with him and now you¡¯re still using me of ndering you?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Fang Yanwen patted the dust off her pants. ¡°I just chatted with him for a while. What do you mean a phone sex?¡± ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that someone like you is actually a lying bi*ch?¡± ¡°We really just chatted for a while. I didn¡¯t know he had a girlfriend. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask him!¡± ¡°Bullsh*t!¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an moved closer to her. ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s WeChat Moments are filled with my photos. Why are you still pretending you didn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°He must have hidden the photos from me.¡± Fang Yanwen took a few steps back. ¡°If you want to me someone, me him. Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Fang Yanwen, do you have a sense of shame? We heard how Qiao¡¯an¡¯s boyfriend rejected you with our ears!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And yet you still pretend you are the most innocent in the world.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you just trying to ruin Qiao¡¯an¡¯s rtionship and take advantage of it? What a big n you are working on!¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an¡¯s female friends spoke one after another, making the atmosphere tense. Realizing that she was in trouble, Fang Yanwen held her clothes tightly to hide the panic in her eyes. ¡°Sister Qiao¡¯an.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°Nothing happened between me and him.¡± ¡°Do you hope something happened?¡± ¡°No, how can I seduce someone who has a girlfriend? There must be a misunderstanding.¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an preferred to believe the evidence. She grabbed Fang Yanwen¡¯s cor and pped her face. ¡°Fang Yanwen, do you really think I¡¯m a fool?¡± ¡°I said I didn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Well then, I didn¡¯t p you either.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Just as Fang Yanwen finished saying a word, the girls standing at the back made a move. Furious shouts and ps sounded at the same time. ¡°I dare you try again.¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an took the tissue from her female friends and looked at Fang Yanwen¡¯s bruised face. This time, Fang Yanwen did not refute. She knew that no matter what she said, she would not be able to clear her name. ¡°I¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°Who else did you seduce other than my boyfriend?¡± ¡°No one.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not lie.¡± Liu Qiao¡¯an crushed up the tissue and threw it at her face. Before she left, she smiled at Fang Yanwen and said, ¡°By the way, the person who made a speech at the ygroundst week is my uncle.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like to seduce office workers? Then I¡¯ll introduce one to you. Isn¡¯t that what you want?¡± Fang Yanwen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She looked at Liu Qiao¡¯an¡¯s back in a daze and was gradually overwhelmed by regret. Chapter 116 - 116 Afraid That He Would Be Too Tired and Want to Be Kissed Again 116 Afraid That He Would Be Too Tired and Want to Be Kissed Again After the bright moon crept up to the sky, the city was covered in a thin mysterious veil. The ck car, surrounded by neon lights, drove towards the Red Maple Forest. When Lin Jiao followed him to get the parcels, she finally remembered the pajamas she had forgotten to pick up for two days. ¡°I got a parcel too.¡± Pei Zhi took the parcel from the post officer and asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Clothes.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s expression did not change, but in her mind, she was already picturing the scene. After arriving at the 19th floor with him, she immediately said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll take a shower first.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take a shower right after dinner.¡± ¡°How long do I have to wait?¡± ¡°At eight.¡± Pei Zhi closed the shoe cab. He walked to the living room to find scissors. ¡°I¡¯ll open it.¡± Lin Jiao grabbed her parcel tightly, afraid that he would find out what was inside. Pei Zhi did not think too much about it. He cleaned the disinfection machine and tried it using the underwear hanging on the balcony to make sure that it was working before putting it in the bathroom. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you done opening the parcel?¡± He leaned against the door frame and asked. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Then bring it over and let me wash it.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Lin Jiao rejected quickly. She pulled off the tag and wrapped the dress in her bathrobe, not even having time to look at it. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided if I want to return it.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t make up your mind, you don¡¯t have to return it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see in a few days.¡± Pei Zhi agreed and hugged her to the sofa. He handed her the remote control. ¡°I told my dad that we¡¯ll go back for lunch tomorrow. When do you want to set out?¡± ¡°At ten.¡± Lin Jiao looked up. ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi caressed her smooth face. ¡°What do you want to eat tomorrow morning?¡± The calluses on his fingers brushed against her skin, giving her an itch. Not only did she not dodge, but she also rubbed her face against his palm affectionately. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to make breakfast. Let¡¯s eat outside.¡± ¡°Do you want me to sleep a bit more?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Pei Zhi let out a chuckle. He lifted her chin, his breath hot and heavy. ¡°You want to be kissed again.¡± Lin Jiao closed her eyes before he leaned over and nted a kiss on her lips. That look of infatuation on her face made Pei Zhi want to stop time from flowing. He savored the sweetness that belonged to him. His heart felt like it was stuffed with cotton. ¡°Good girl.¡± He restrained the darkness in his eyes and ended the intimacy with a light kiss on her forehead. Lin Jiao, who was leaning on his shoulder, was still trying to calm down. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said, her lips still wet from sparkling saliva, ¡°You can¡¯t kiss me for too long next time.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi looked at her and roughly understood. He brushed aside the hair on the side of her face and tapped her lips casually. ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Lin Jiao looked away from his face and stood up to take two sips of water. She stared at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± Pei Zhi yed with her fingertips. ¡°Then why do you want to take a shower so badly?¡± ¡°I want to spend time with you after showering.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Jiao pretended to be calm, not wanting to reveal anything in front of him. Chapter 117 - 117 Surprise Him And Write A Guarantee 117 Surprise Him And Write A Guarantee Pei Zhi did not stop her. He picked up the remote control and changed the channel, not knowing what kind of torture he would have to endureter. A momentter, the sound of running water could be heard. The steam that rose added a glow to Lin Jiao¡¯s face, and even her eyes looked misty. She washed the foam off her corbone, wrapped herself in a towel, and walked to the sink. She took out the nightgown hidden in the bathrobe and put it on. The wine-red color of the nightgown made her already fair skin look even fairer and more charming. She took out a tissue to wipe the mirror. When she saw the design of the nightgown, her cheeks turned red. Perhaps because she was too shy, she put on a bathrobe and waited for the steam to dissipate before mustering up her courage to push open the door. ¡°Jiaojiao, why aren¡¯t youing over?¡± Pei Zhi looked at the figure standing beside the floormp in confusion. ¡°I want to sleep.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you go back to your room?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao took a step to the right and said to him, ¡°Go take a shower.¡± After she disappeared from his sight, Pei Zhi suppressed a sense of bad feeling and walked into the bathroom. He took a shower in twenty minutes, turned off the chandelier and television in the living room, and slowly walked back to the master bedroom. ¡°Jiaojiao?¡± Pei Zhi, who did not see anyone on the bed, pushed open the bathroom door and looked around. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Lin Jiao poked her head out from behind the curtains. She rubbed her hands against each other, her eyshes fluttering as he approached. ¡°You want to y hide and seek with me?¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the top of her head, a smile shing across his eyes. He lowered his hand to hold her hand, but before he could touch her arm, she dodged. Lin Jiao pursed her lips. ¡°Close your eyes.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°Give me your hand.¡± Pei Zhi obediently reached out his hand. He was dragged forward and sat by the bay window at her signal. ¡°Can I open my eyes now?¡± ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Lin Jiao took deep breaths. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned over and kissed him on the neck. ¡°Hug me first.¡± Pei Zhi hugged her. He rubbed the silky fabric and had an ominous feeling. ¡°Jiaojiao, what surprise do you have in store for me?¡± ¡°Me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The surprise is me.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart was racing, and she tightened her grip on his neck. Pei Zhi opened his eyes without asking. When he saw the so-called ¡®surprise¡¯, his body instantly tensed up, and he seemed to have fallen into a trance. His reaction made Lin Jiao nervous. She leaned closer to him, her voice so soft that he could barely hear it. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± Pei Zhi suddenly came back to his senses. He dodged her kiss and ripped the curtains off to wrap her up. Perhaps because he was too anxious and did not control his strength, the curtains were pulled down by him and covered their heads. All the light was instantly blocked. Two heartbeats of different frequencies created an ambiguous vibe in the dark and quiet environment. Pei Zhi, who had gonepletely crazy, hurriedly pushed away the curtains and ced her on the bed. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with youter.¡± With that, he stormed out of the bedroom. She didn¡¯t have time to do anything. Lin Jiao kicked away the curtains and got into bed. She looked at the nightmp that was emitting a warm light and thought of a way to torture him. Forty minutester, Pei Zhi appeared again. He ced the letter of guarantee on the bedside table and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Add another one.¡± Chapter 118 - 118 Keep It For the Future 118 Keep It For the Future Lin Jiao stood up subconsciously. Just as the nket slid down to her corbone, Pei Zhi pressed her back down and stopped her from moving. Puzzled, she asked, ¡°Add what?¡± ¡°Promise not to wear a dress like that.¡± !! ¡°Can¡¯t I just wear it for you to see?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi thought for a moment and changed his mind. ¡°I can wear it next year, but not now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been getting cold recently. It¡¯s easy to catch a cold.¡± ¡°There¡¯s air conditioning indoors.¡± Lin Jiao pointed at the AC behind him and said seriously, ¡°Besides, my health is always good.¡± ¡°No matter how good your health is, everyone catches a cold.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her forehead. His gaze was so gentle that it could make peoplepromise. Hebed up her long hair that was scattered on the pillow. ¡°If you catch a cold, my heart will ache.¡± Under his coaxing, Lin Jiao picked up the letter of guarantee and wrote down the fifth use as well as the time on which it was written. She turned over and handed it to him. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Change your clothes first.¡± Pei Zhi ced the pajamas by the bed and went to the study room. When he returned, Lin Jiao had already changed. ¡°Uncle.¡± She pushed aside the hair on her cheek and said gently, ¡°Hang the curtains.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi stuffed the sexy nightgown to the bottom of the closet, thinking that he would let her wear it in the future. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want milk?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll turn off the lights?¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy yet.¡± Seeing that she had turned on the projector, Pei Zhi lifted the nket beside him and got into bed to hug her. He curled his knuckles and pinched her face. ¡°Who told me she wanted to sleep just now?¡± ¡°Not anymore.¡± ¡°You little liar.¡± Lin Jiao bit the back of his hand. She red at him, her gaze like a small hook that tickled his heart. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say that again.¡± Pei Zhi did not dare to provoke her. He shifted his gaze to the projection screen and watched the prince lecture the servants. ¡°He hasn¡¯t married yet?¡± ¡°No, I think he¡¯ll get married on the twentieth episode.¡± ¡°How many episodes are there in this drama?¡± ¡°Fifty-six.¡± Lin Jiaoyfortably on his chest. ¡°He¡¯s going to be crippled soon.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he in a wheelchair in the first episode?¡± ¡°He faked it.¡± Pei Zhi pushed her away and rushed to get some snacks before the show started. He fed her a plum and asked her to spit it out the pit. ¡°It¡¯s so sour.¡± Lin Jiao took a tissue from the side and wiped his palm. ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy plums from another brand next time.¡± He rarely ate snacks and wasn¡¯t familiar enough with brands. Pei Zhi put the plums aside. ¡°What else do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Dried strawberries.¡± Lin Jiao enjoyed being fed by him. After tasting the sweetness of the strawberries, she discussed the plot with him. ¡°Who do you think caused him to die?¡± ¡°Emperor.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Emperors are usually paranoid.¡± Pei Zhi took two sips of water. ¡°That makes sense.¡± Lin Jiao agreed with Pei Zhi. She continued watching. When the episode was over, she subconsciously reached out to grab the remote control. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi raised his chin at the clock to remind her of the time. ¡°It¡¯s time to sleep.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not even midnight yet.¡± ¡°You want to watch for another fifteen minutes?¡± ¡°Twenty.¡± Lin Jiao held his arm. ¡°I want to finish watching the part where he rejects Miss Guan.¡± The moment her soft voice entered his ear, Pei Zhi couldn¡¯t help but press the remote control. The scene that appeared again made Lin Jiao happy. ¡°Reward.¡± She kissed him on the lips and turned around to watch the show. Pei Zhi, who was enchanted by the little fox, was immersed in the strawberry-vored kiss. He couldn¡¯t even remember how many times he had madepromises. Chapter 119 - 119 Jiaojiao Called Pei Zhen Dad 119 Jiaojiao Called Pei Zhen Dad It was a sunny day. In the alleyway surrounded by tiled walls, many old people came out for a walk with teacups. Theirughter did not ease Lin Jiao¡¯s nervousness. Instead, it made it worse. She held Pei Zhi¡¯s arm and followed him into the house calmly, but she was actually panicking. !! ¡°Dad, we¡¯re back.¡± Pei Zhi ced the gifts she had bought in advance on the tea table. Pei Zhen looked up when he heard the voice. He was about to speak when he was interrupted by a gentle voice. Lin Jiao blurted out, ¡°Dad.¡± This form of address frightened Pei Zhen. Suspecting he¡¯d heard wrong, he tilted his head to the side and put his ear forward. ¡°What did you call me?¡± Lin Jiao raised her voice and said again. Seeing that he was silent for a long time, she secretly tugged at Pei Zhi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°What happened to him? Was I too loud?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi whispered into her ear, ¡°He¡¯s probably just stunned.¡± Pei Zhen was indeed stunned. He put the chess piece between his fingers into the chess box and took a sip of tea. ¡°Sit down. Let¡¯s talk.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother tell you?¡± ¡°Tell me what?¡± ¡°About me being with Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi picked up the teapot and poured tea into two porcin cups. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m with Jiaojiao.¡± At this moment, Pei Zhen¡¯s mood was like ake that had been thrown a stone, causing ripples. He let out a breath. ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°Mid-August.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell mest time?¡± Pei Zhi guessed that he was referring to the day before November. He picked up his teacup. ¡°At that time, my rtionship with Jiaojiao was still ambiguous, so I didn¡¯t mention it to you.¡± Pei Zhen snorted. ¡°You hid it quite well.¡± He looked sideways at Lin Jiao. ¡°Jiaojiao, why do you like this brat?¡± Lin Jiao listed a bunch of reasons why she liked Pei Zhi. ¡°He¡¯s also very good to me.¡± Her overflowing happiness infected Pei Zhen. He could tell that they cherished this rtionship, so he stopped asking about it. ¡°Jiaojiao, y two rounds with me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao sat opposite him. As she picked up a ck piece, Pei Zhi went to the kitchen to bring out a te of fruits. He looked at the chessboard in silence. asionally, he would fork a piece of fruit for her and teach her what moves to make. Pei Zisheng, who had returned from jogging, saw the three of them gathered together and went over to take a look. He pointed at the bottom right corner. ¡°Jiaojiao, stop him there.¡± A mature male voice sounded in her ear, making Lin Jiao look up subconsciously. Pei Zicheng looked very simr to Pei Zhi. However, his temperament was much gentler than Pei Zhi¡¯s. He had a sense of maturity that came from a good umtion of experiences in life. ¡°Brother,¡± Lin Jiao called out with a smile. Then she picked up a chess piece and ced it on the chessboard. Pei Zhi handed him a cigarette and sat down on the other side with Pei Zicheng. ¡°Where¡¯s Sister-inw?¡± ¡°She went to the market with Auntie Luo.¡± ¡°Have you taken care of the matter in Bin City?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zicheng lit the cigarette. ¡°Your sister-inw doesn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her from now on.¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow. ¡°What happened?¡± Chapter 120 - 120 Feel Free to Smash His Glass 120 Feel Free to Smash His ss ¡°She called your sister-inw bi*ch in front of the neighbors and even smashed the things in the mourning hall.¡± ¡°She¡¯s really out of her mind for money.¡± ¡°Not only is she crazy, but she can even use her life as a bargaining chip.¡± Pei Zicheng recounted the scene. He tapped his cigarette twice. ¡°If the police didn¡¯te in time, I¡¯m afraid she would have jumped.¡± Pei Zhi could not understand the mentality of people who threatened to kill themselves just to achieve a certain goal. He heard footsteps outside the door and stopped discussing this topic. ¡°Sister-inw is back.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the ashtray?¡± ¡°Over there with Dad.¡± Pei Zicheng hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette. He picked up his teacup and took two sips, trying to cover the smell in his mouth. ¡°Come over and smell if my clothes reeked of nicotine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure they are.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go up and change.¡± Pei Zhi shook his head andughed. He blew out ast puff of smoke and helped Bai Ying pour a cup of tea. ¡°Sister-inw, did you buy a lot?¡± ¡°Not a lot.¡± Bai Ying came over after changing into a pair of slippers. She was wearing a checkered Chanel jacket and ck wide-legged pants, looking quite smart. She walked to the sofa with a gentle smile on her face. ¡°Jiaojiao, who won between you and Dad?¡± ¡°Dad won more.¡± Lin Jiao was not good at chess. If not for the spectators giving her guidance, she probably would not have won a single round. Bai Ying took the snacks from Auntie Luo and asked Lin Jiao, ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want to have pork trotter soup for lunch?¡± Lin Jiao quickly shook her head. ¡°Not really.¡± Thinking of the effect of the pork trotter soup, Pei Zhi subconsciously moved his eyes down below her neck and then quickly looked away. He suddenly thought of something. ¡°Where¡¯s Pei Yn?¡± ¡°She went on a trip with Jiang Ye.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Xiangnan Mountain.¡± Bai Ying forked a piece of apple. ¡°There¡¯s a hot spring resort there. You can bring Jiaojiao there next time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi remembered it. He yed with the lighter in his hand and chatted with them from time to time, making the atmosphere more lively. At lunchtime, a strong fragrance filled the hall. Pei Zhen, whose appetite was aroused by the fragrance, immediately brought them to the dining room. He looked at the bottle of white wine on the table and thought of that stubborn old man. ¡°Jiaojiao, how¡¯s Old Lin?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°When did he move to the countryside?¡± ¡°A long time ago.¡± Lin Jiao recalled. ¡°Probably when I was in high school.¡± ¡°Dad.¡± When Pei Zisheng was peeling prawns for his wife, he looked up and asked, ¡°Do you know Jiaojiao¡¯s grandfather?¡± ¡°Her grandfather is Lin Kanglu.¡± ¡°Lin Kang¡­ you mean Uncle Lin?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± When Pei Zhen first found out about this, he was even more surprised than Pei Zisheng. He picked up a piece of pork rib and ced it in Lin Jiao¡¯s bowl. After some thought, he said, ¡°Jiaojiao, are you free tomorrow?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°Then bring me and Old Chu over to see your grandfather.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao thought that saying too much at the dining table wasn¡¯t appropriate, so she didn¡¯t ask the many questions she had. She ate the oyster that Pei Zhi put into her bowl and looked at Pei Zicheng, whose hands were covered in oil. ¡°Brother, why aren¡¯t you wearing gloves?¡± ¡°I would have forgotten if you didn¡¯t tell me.¡± Pei Zicheng took out a wet tissue to wipe his hand. He unscrewed the cap of the white wine and a funny image appeared in his mind. ¡°Dad, you should change the way you address Uncle Lin in the future.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°ording to seniority, you should call your daughter-inw¡¯s grandfather uncle, right?¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Pei Zhen¡¯s expression was extremely interesting. He took the half ss of wine from Pei Zicheng and downed it in one go. ¡°If I call him Uncle, I will be made aughing stock among my friends.¡± ¡°But ording to¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about seniority.¡± Pei Zisheng tried his best to hold back hisughter. ¡°If you don¡¯t, Uncle Lin might kick up a fuss.¡± ¡°Let him be. What kind of fuss can he kick up,¡± Pei Zhen said in a huff, his nostrils ring. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m afraid of him?¡± ¡°What if he objects to Jiaojiao marrying Pei Zhi because of that?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± He was like an old child. ¡°If he dares, I¡¯ll fight him to the death!¡± ¡°Are you going to fight him with a walking stick?¡± ¡°Pei Zisheng, are you itching for a beating?¡± Seeing that he was about to grab his walking stick, Pei Zicheng, who did not want to be hit, quickly snatched the walking stick and shut up. He elbowed Bai Ying, who red at him and picked up the food with chopsticks. ¡°Dad, try this bass.¡± Pei Zhen snorted and let him go. After having lunch with the children, he walked to the window with his walking stick and shouted at the next door. ¡°Old Chu,e and y chess!¡± ¡°Wait a minute!¡± ¡°Are you constipated again?¡± After a few seconds of silence, someone scolded, ¡°Pei Zhen, you old fool, I¡¯m having lunch!¡± Pei Zhen, who was scolded,ughed instead of getting angry. He leaned out of the window, afraid that the others in the neighborhood could not hear him. ¡°You¡¯re only eating now? Is your child starving you or what?¡± ¡°Cut that crap.¡± ¡°I saw it allst night.¡± An old man in his seventies, who had also stuck his head out, grabbed a handful of stones from a flower pot and threw them at the person next door. He pointed at Pei Zhen, who was smiling like a blooming flower. ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t have time to fool around with you!¡± Pei Zhen, who was almost hit, stared at the ss. He tapped the ground twice with his walking stick and said in a louder voice, ¡°Try hitting me again.¡± ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t dare?¡± With that, he threw another piece of stone. Pei Zhen waspletely ¡®enraged¡¯. ¡°Pei Zisheng, get me a slingshot!¡± He turned to shout into the living room, looking like he wanted to fight with the person next door. Pei Zisheng was speechless. He closed the window as usual and dragged Pei Zhen back to the living room to prevent the quarrel from escting. ¡°Uncle.¡± Lin Jiao, who was amused, lowered her voice and asked the person beside her, ¡°Do they do this often?¡± ¡°Almost every day.¡± Pei Zhi was used to it. He raised his chin at the window and said calmly, ¡°They¡¯ve smashed four or five windows.¡± ¡°Always with stones?¡± ¡°Not necessarily. It depends on their mood.¡± Lin Jiao looked at the wooden slingshot that Pei Zhen had found in the cab. Out of curiosity, she yed with it. She looked up. ¡°Did you make this?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pei Zhen threw a stone up and nimbly caught it. ¡°Do you want to try?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t control my strength.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Feel free to smash his ss.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± She put down the slingshot. Afraid that he could not hear her, she raised her voice slightly. ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My father cut ties with my grandpa when I was very young. Do you know why?¡± Pei Zhen raised an eyebrow. ¡°No one told you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao peeled the peanut shells and ced the nuts on the te. ¡°My mother doesn¡¯t let me ask either.¡± Chapter 121 - 121 Understanding the Reason 121 Understanding the Reason ¡°I know.¡± Pei Zicheng put away his chess piece and dragged the stool to their side. He summarized it in a few words, ¡°In order to invest, your father sold the antiques at home without telling Uncle Lin.¡± ¡°What antiques?¡± ¡°I heard they were some kind of porcin.¡± !! Lin Jiao frowned. She recalled the frequent quarrels between her parents during her poor childhood and felt that something was wrong. ¡°Where is the money he got from selling antiques?¡± ¡°I lost it all.¡± Pei Zhen suppressed the emotions in his eyes. He blew away the tea leaves on the edge of the cup. ¡°First time he invested, Old Lin took half of his savings to help him, but he lost everything.¡± Lin Jiao guessed boldly, ¡°Grandpa refused to help him the second time, so he sold the antiques?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Did he get the antiques back in the end?¡± Pei Zhen nodded. At the thought of what Lin Kanglu had suffered, Lin Jiao was angry with her father. ¡°I didn¡¯t know he was such a scumbag.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Pei Zhen patted her shoulderfortingly and said gently, ¡°He¡¯s not as frivolous as before.¡± ¡°Have you seen him in the past few years?¡± ¡°No, I heard it from your brother.¡± Lin Jiao replied, ¡°My father talked to mest time. He said he wants to fulfill his filial responsibility to Grandpa.¡± ¡°He never went back to visit your grandpa?¡± ¡°He did, but Grandpa refused to see him.¡± ¡°Old Lin is as stubborn as ever.¡± Pei Zhen curled his lips at the thought of his stubborn look. ¡°I¡¯ll have a good chat with him tomorrow.¡± ¡°Can you persuade him?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± As long as he found where Old Lin lived, he was confident to persuade him. Pei Qisheng saw through his thoughts at a nce. ¡°Are you nning to stay at Uncle Lin¡¯s house uninvited?¡± ¡°What do you mean uninvited?¡± Pei Zhen picked up a peanut and threw it at his son. ¡°The air in the countryside is good. Can¡¯t I stay there for a few more days?¡± Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t stay there for long.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°He lives in a very remote ce. He usually has to grow and pick the vegetables himself. Can you walk in the muddy field with your walking stick?¡± ¡°You¡¯re underestimating me!¡± Pei Zhen threw his walking stick to the side and stood up agilely. He pped his thigh. ¡°I¡¯m not a cripple.¡± ¡°Are you pretending to be a cripple all these years?¡± A teasing voice attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Chu Kui walked leisurely towards the living room. He was about the same height as Pei Zhen and looked energetic, nothing like an old man in his seventies. ¡°I¡¯m not crippled to begin with!¡± Pei Zhen moved to the right and sat in front of the white chess piece, waiting for him toe over. ¡°Then why do you use a walking stick all day?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with you whether I use it or not. Hurry up ande over.¡± Just as Chu Kui was about to scold him, he saw Lin Jiao from the corner of his eye and smiled. ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re here.¡± His expression changed especially quickly, and the gentleness he revealed was a stark contrast to before. ¡°Uncle Chu.¡± Lin Jiao ced the peeled peanuts on the small table by the chessboard. ¡°Have some.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Chu Kui took two to try. When he picked up the ck piece under Pei Zhen¡¯s nagging, he suddenly realized something. ¡°What did you call me?¡± ¡°Uncle Chu.¡± ¡°Are you in a rtionship with Pei Zhi?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve been together for a few months.¡± Pei Zhen swallowed a mouthful of tea. ¡°Is your son, Chu Yuzhou, dating anyone?¡± Chu Kui ced a piece on the chessboard. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask. I can¡¯t be bothered with him.¡± ¡°Is Yuzhou at home?¡± Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand that he had not touched all morning and rubbed it gently. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go over to see him.¡± Chapter 122 - 122 He Is Being Tortured At All Times 122 He Is Being Tortured At All Times Lin Jiao followed him. She walked next door under the sun and sat in the garden with Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Did you not sleep wellst night?¡± She stared at the dark circles under his eyes with concern. ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Yuzhou poured the coffee into three cups. ¡°I quarreled with her.¡± !! ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was ying games with Brother Yanshen and forgot to reply to her message.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t apologize?¡± ¡°I did, but she insisted that I didn¡¯t like her anymore.¡± Pei Zhi swirled his coffee cup. ¡°Then do you still like her?¡± ¡°I do, but I¡¯m starting to get tired.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long and you¡¯re already tired?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of time.¡± Chu Yuzhou handed him a cigarette. ¡°Her emotions are fluctuating all the time, and I feel tortured.¡± ¡°Give me an example?¡± ¡°She wanted me to buy her a bagst Thursday. When I said I was busy, she immediately fell out with me. After that, I bought it and sent it over to her, but she didn¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°Did she take it eventually?¡± ¡°After I begged her and said a lot of nice things, she took it.¡± Lin Jiao paused in the middle of stirring her cup. She restrained the sympathy that shed across her eyes and advised him tactfully, ¡°You two are notpatible.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Chu Yuzhou sighed. He threw the phone on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her when her agent sends me a message.¡± ¡°What does it have to do with her agent?¡± ¡°Every time she blocked me, her agent would secretly send me the location and ask me to go over and coax her.¡± Pei Zhi frowned when he heard that. When he saw Chu Yuzhou¡¯s foolish look, he knew that he had treated the agent as a good person. ¡°If you want to break up, make up your mind and do it. Don¡¯t drag it on.¡± ¡°The thing is that I can¡¯t find her now.¡± ¡°Ask Yanshen.¡± Chu Yuzhou called Zhou Yanshen. After knowing that she had gone to Bin City to film, he rubbed the hair on his forehead dejectedly. ¡°Brother Pei, can I borrow your phone?¡± ¡°Use Jiaojiao¡¯s phone.¡± Pei Zhi did not want other women to keep his contact number. Lin Jiao pressed the dial button. Seeing that he had turned on the speaker, she leaned forward and listened to their conversation. ¡°Nanrui, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± Xia Nanrui sounded impatient, but she did not hang up immediately. ¡°Let¡¯s break up.¡± ¡°Chu Yuzhou, say that again.¡± Chu Yuzhou repeated his words. His indifferent attitude made Xia Nanrui panic. Her tone softened. ¡°Is it because of what happenedst night?¡± ¡°Yes, but no.¡± Chu Yuzhou said calmly, ¡°I have a job too, and I need to socialize. I really can¡¯t do what you want me to do.¡± She always made him embarrassed. Even if he did nothing wrong, he still had to beg her. ¡°Did I ask for too much?¡± Xia Nanrui choked. ¡°If you don¡¯t like me anymore, just say it. Don¡¯t make excuses.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like you anymore. Are you satisfied now?¡± ¡°Do you have to do this? I sacrificed so much for you, but in the end, you still want to dump me?¡± ¡°What did you sacrifice?¡± ¡°I rejected two dating variety shows and five men who wanted to date me. The meeting with my fans has also been rescheduled because of you. Can¡¯t you see it? Are you blind?¡± Chu Yuzhou was silent. Sensing that he was starting to waver, Pei Zhi knocked on the table twice to remind him. ¡°I¡¯ll call you tonight.¡± Chu Yuzhou hung up. ¡°Brother Pei.¡± He stared at Pei Zhi, eager for an answer. ¡°Is what she said true?¡± Chapter 123 - 123 Choosing to Break Up 123 Choosing to Break Up Pei Zhi did not expect him to be so stupid. He lit the cigarette. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a brain to think?¡± Lin Jiao secretly pinched him. A tickling sensation came from his waist. He coughed twice and said, ¡°Ask Yanshen for confirmation.¡± Chu Yuzhou called again. !! While waiting for the call to be answered, he asked them, ¡°If she didn¡¯t lie to me, what should I do?¡± ¡°Beg her toe back to you.¡± ¡°Beg again?¡± ¡°You¡¯re used to it anyway.¡± Pei Zhi blew out a puff of smoke, not wanting to discuss this anymore. He clicked on the photo sent by Qu Shao and showed it to them. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Lujing for two days next Friday.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your birthday on Saturday?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll spend my birthday over there.¡± ¡°The environment looks good.¡± Lin Jiao looked at the photos over and over. ¡°Tell them about it first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi opened their WeChat group. After sending the address, Zhou Yanshen, who had gone to check, called Chu Yuzhou back. ¡°Xia Nanrui did reject a variety show, but the reason is that she has a conflict with one of the guests.¡± ¡°She told me she rejected two.¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou Yanshen seemed to have just woken up and his voice was still a little hoarse. ¡°As far as I can find, there is only one.¡± ¡°What about the fan meeting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± He yawned. ¡°I think it was canceled because of her schedule.¡± Chu Yuzhou was extremely disappointed. ¡°Got it.¡± Hearing the dispirited tone in his voice, Zhou Yanshen asked in a low voice, ¡°Did you break up with her?¡± ¡°Not yet, but soon.¡± ¡°Then talk to her first. If you can¡¯t settle it, tell me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Yuzhou took a deep breath. He picked up Lin Jiao¡¯s phone again and, in a matter of announcement, told Xia Nanrui that they werepletely done for. No matter how she cried or exined, his heart never softened. He even ended the call first. He deleted her contact information and drank half a cup of coffee in one go before letting out a long sigh. ¡°She¡¯s calling again.¡± Lin Jiao looked at the number that popped up on the screen. ¡°Ignore her.¡± Chu Yuzhou yed with the lighter with a cold expression. ¡°Just block her.¡± ¡°Have you ever brought her back?¡± ¡°No, she can¡¯t find me here.¡± Lin Jiao hung up without hesitation. She picked up her coffee cup and clinked it with his. Afterforting him for a long time, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to someone better next time.¡± ¡°Do you have anyone suitable around you?¡± ¡°Not at the moment.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait.¡± Chu Yuzhou adjusted his emotions quickly and was not as angry as before. While Pei Zhi was in the washroom, he leaned over and asked Lin Jiao, ¡°Did you prepare a birthday gift for Brother Pei?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A pair of rings.¡± Lin Jiao opened the order and showed it to him. ¡°It¡¯s a new arrival.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this series a wedding ring?¡± ¡°Unmarried people can wear it too.¡± Chu Yuzhou could not refute that. He looked away and muttered to himself, ¡°What should I give him then?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯tck anything.¡± Lin Jiao checked the logistics and turned off the screen. Chu Yuzhou, who was still thinking hard, was suddenly struck by an idea. ¡°I got it!¡± He let out augh. ¡°I know what to give him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you when I bought it.¡± When Pei Zhi returned, Chu Yuzhou was still smiling. Pei Zhi took the tissue from Lin Jiao and wiped the water off his fingertips. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I just watched a funny video.¡± ¡°Show me?¡± ¡°I identally swiped it.¡± Chu Yuzhou was afraid that he would notice something, so he lowered his head and scrolled through the video app. Chapter 124 - 124 Meeting After So Many Years 124 Meeting After So Many Years Pei Zhi remembered what he came for and said, ¡°Come with us to the countryside tomorrow.¡± ¡°Are we going fishing?¡± ¡°No.¡± He exined it briefly and did not mention anything about farm work. ¡°Remember to wear sportswear and no watch.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I wear a watch?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not easy to walk there. If you identally fall, you¡¯ll break it.¡± Chu Yuzhou believed him. The next morning, he changed into sportswear and drove out the city with the two old men. The quiet mountain path was unique. The warm sun shone through the lush trees. When the breeze brushed past their faces, they felt rxed. ¡°Park here.¡± Pei Zhi pointed at the muddy road. He picked up the gift box and waited for Chu Yuzhou to stop before opening the trunk. ¡°The road ahead is too narrow. We can only walk.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°About ten minutes.¡± Chu Kui looked at the mud road ahead. He pointed at the courtyard that was surrounded by fences. ¡°Is that Old Lin¡¯s house?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao helped Pei Zhen as they walked on. She paid attention to the road under her feet, afraid that he would identally trip. ¡°There¡¯s a river behind the courtyard where we can fish.¡± Chu Yuzhou suddenly stopped in his tracks. He went back to get the fishing rod from the trunk and ran to catch up with them, his eyes fixed on the trumpet flowers on the fence. ¡°You¡¯d better not pick it.¡± Seeing him reach out a hand, Pei Zhi reminded him in time, ¡°If you pick it, you¡¯ll be beaten up.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to.¡± ¡°Put your hand back down before you say that.¡± Chu Kui red at him and walked into the courtyard first. He shouted into the house, ¡°Old Lin!¡± This sonorous voice startled Lin Kanglu, who was sitting in the living room reading the newspaper. He looked at the two old men through the window. Just as the corners of his mouth curled into a nostalgic smile, he cleared his throat to suppress it. ¡°You old thing, are you deaf? Come out quickly!¡± Chu Kui pulled Pei Zhen to sit at the table in the courtyard. ¡°His ears are not working well.¡± Lin Kanglu smacked the newspaper on the table. He walked out. ¡°Who let you in?¡± Pei Zhen pointed at the open door. ¡°The door is wide open, so we let ourselves in.¡± ¡°Stop arguing.¡± Chu Kui waved his hand and interrupted them. ¡°I¡¯m dying of thirst. Get us a cup of tea first.¡± ¡°You deserve to die of thirst!¡± Lin Kanglu red at him and turned to enter the house. Hearing the sound he made in the kitchen, Pei Zhen stretched out his neck and shouted, ¡°I want to drink Pu Er!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have that!¡± ¡°Then ck tea will do just fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already being merciful enough to give you something to drink. Do you think you get to choose?¡± Although Lin Kanglu said that, he still brought out a pot of Pu Er tea. He gestured for the juniors to sit down. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to entertain the two of you. Hurry up and leave after drinking it!¡± ¡°I heard the sound of chicken.¡± Chu Kui did not answer him at all. He looked at Chu Yuzhou and said, ¡°Go to the backyard and catch one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never caught one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very easy to catch.¡± Pei Zhen called out to Pei Zhi. ¡°Go with Pei Zhi and choose a fat one to stew.¡± Lin Kanglu pped the table. ¡°Did I agree?¡± ¡°As long as Jiaojiao agrees, your opnion is insignificant.¡± Chu Kui smiled amiably at Lin Jiao. ¡°Right?¡± Chapter 125 - 125 Talking About the Past 125 Talking About the Past Lin Jiao replied with a smile, ¡°What else do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Carrot stewed pork ribs and stir-fried yams.¡± Chu Kui nced at Pei Zhen. ¡°Give him braised pork too.¡± ¡°Do you think this ce is a restaurant?¡± ¡°Old Chu and I came all the way here. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s only appropriate to treat us to a big meal?¡± ¡°Shameless!¡± Lin Kanglu cursed angrily, but he did not stop the juniors who were walking towards the kitchen. !! Pei Zhen knocked him with his walking stick. He raised his chin at the house beside him. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bring us in for a tour?¡± ¡°Can you even walk?¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t I?¡± ¡°He¡¯s pretending to be a cripple. Ignore him.¡± Chu Kui picked up his teacup and stood up at the same time as them. Chu Yuzhou, who came out after inspecting the kitchen, realized that the old men were gone. He said excitedly, ¡°Let¡¯s go and see the chickens?¡± ¡°You want to catch it?¡± ¡°A little. I never tried it.¡± He was willing to try anything that he had never done. Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and walked in front. He found the chicken coop in the backyard and pulled open the fence to let him in. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to show off.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Catch whichever one you like.¡± Chu Yuzhou looked around and finally chose a ¡®lucky chicken¡¯. He avoided the chicken poop and moved to the right. Just as he stretched out his ws, the red-haired chicken pped its wings and flew away. He went back and forth a few times but did not even manage to touch a feather on the chicken. ¡°You have to sneak up to it.¡± Looking at his clumsy movement, Lin Jiao was anxious. She lowered her voice to avoid scaring the chickens. ¡°Catch it when it¡¯s not paying attention.¡± Chu Yuzhou did as she said. He bent down and slowly walked forward. After getting closer, he suddenly pounced on it. Then¡ª He tripped over a stone. Lin Jiao held her breath, afraid that he would fall on the chicken poop. Fortunately, Chu Yuzhou reacted quickly and stabilized himself in time. ¡°Holy crap! That was close.¡± Chu Yuzhou panted. Pei Zhi held back hisughter. He thought of how miserable he was the first time he was catching a chicken and decided not to continue watching the show. ¡°Let me help you.¡± ¡°I have to catch it this time!¡± Chu Yuzhou clenched his fists and swore. ¡°I¡¯ll feed it, and you try to sneak up to its back.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi sprinked grains on the ground and led the chicken to a corner where it was not easy to escape before giving Chu Yuzhou a look. They cooperated well and caught the struggling chicken quickly. ¡°Do you have a knife?¡± Chu Yuzhou lowered his head to look at his clothes that were covered in dust and wanted to retaliate. ¡°The knife is in the kitchen.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill this little bastard.¡± By the time Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao returned to the kitchen, the chicken was already dead. Lin Jiao quickly took a basin to keep the blood. ¡°It¡¯s still moving.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll give it another sh.¡± ¡°Point the knife at its neck.¡± Chu Yuzhou shed down. He looked at the chicken neck to make sure it was dead before putting down the knife. ¡°What do we do next?¡± ¡°Plucking the feather.¡± Lin Jiao told him the steps. After Pei Zhi finished boiling the water, she ced the chicken in the pot and boiled it for two minutes before teaching him how to pluck. After Lin Jiao was done giving a demonstration, Chu Yuzhou gave it a try. He sat alone on the wooden stool and plucked the feather one by one. ¡°Brother Pei, have you ever killed a chicken before?¡± ¡°I have.¡± ¡°Here as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi put on an apron. He ced the fish on the chopping board and knocked it out with the back of the knife before scraping off the scales. ¡°I caught it with Yanshenst time.¡± ¡°He must be very skilled, right?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Lin Jiao walked behind Pei Zhi and helped him tie the apron. She picked up the basin filled with veggies and walked to the sink to wash it. Chu Yuzhou leaned over to wash his hands. ¡°Who¡¯s going to cook?¡± ¡°Do you know how to cook?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Your showtime then.¡± Lin Jiao thought for a moment and handed him a te filled with yams and fungus. Chu Yuzhou rolled up his sleeves. In just a moment, a wisp of smoke spread out, and the entire house was filled with the fragrance of fresh food. Seeing that he was stir-frying the yams skillfully, Lin Jiao was slightly relieved and poured the chicken into another pot. In no time, one dish after another was ced on the table in the living room. ¡°Do you have wine?¡± Chu Kui wanted to drink. Lin Kanglu turned around and walked to the wine jar. ¡°Kids, do you want to drink too?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the alcohol content?¡± ¡°Fifty or sixty.¡± Chu Yuzhou went over with two sses. He sniffed the wine that was filled with herbal fragrance. As soon as he took a sip, he frowned at the spiciness. ¡°Brother Pei, try it.¡± ¡°You have to savor this wine slowly.¡± Chu Kui picked up his ss and wanted tough when he saw his grimace face. ¡°It¡¯s spicy even if I drink it slowly.¡± ¡°Then drink white wine.¡± Lin Kanglu poured him a ss. He told them to eat first and then picked up his ss. ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much. You still have to go back tonight.¡± ¡°Go back to where?¡± Pei Zhen picked up a peanut. ¡°Old Chu and I are staying for the night.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no room for the two of you.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll stay in your room.¡± ¡°In your dreams!¡± ¡°Yuzhou, stay here tonight too.¡± Chu Kui made up his mind. ¡°You have nothing to do anyway. Drive us back tomorrow.¡± Chu Yuzhou did not dare to refuse even if he had something to do. He put down his ss in a daze and tugged at Pei Zhi. ¡°Let¡¯s go out and take a walk to sober up.¡± ¡°Go and water the fields on the way.¡± ¡°Close the door.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao guessed that they had something to talk about, so she closed the door. After the footsteps were gradually disappearing, the room fell into a short silence. The sound of bowls and chopsticks colliding lingered in the quiet room. Chu Kui, who could not stand this atmosphere, picked up his ss and clinked it with theirs. He took two sips of wine. ¡°I heard from Old Pei that Jiaojiao asked him about you and Hongyuan yesterday.¡± Lin Kanglu chewed on a peanut with his left cheek and looked at Pei Zhen. ¡°What did you tell her?¡± ¡°I told her the truth.¡± Pei Zhen paused for a moment. ¡°But I didn¡¯t mention who those two items belong to.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention it?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point? I¡¯m not like you. I don¡¯t wanna bring up something that happened 15 years ago.¡± Fifteen years ago, in order to support Lin Kanglu¡¯s work, he and Chu Kui each took out a family heirloom and gave it to Lin Kanglu to repair. They did not expect Lin Hongyuan to be so stupid as to sell the items behind their backs. Neither did they expect that a few harsh words from Chu Kui¡¯s wife would make Lin Kanglu avoid them for 15 years out of guilt. ¡°Old Lin.¡± Chu Kui ced his hand on his shoulder. ¡°You know what my wife is like. She didn¡¯t say that on purpose.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t me her.¡± Lin Kanglu sighed. ¡°I was stubborn in the past and was impulsive.¡± Chapter 126 - 126 Work Crisis 126 Work Crisis ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Pei Zhen could not stand him sighing. They had been acquainted for so many years and knew each other well. He poured some wine into Lin Kanglu¡¯s ss. ¡°Drink this ss and we¡¯ll forget about you not keeping in touch with us for so long.¡± ¡°Cheers?¡± Lin Kanglu smiled and finished his ss of wine. He grabbed a handful of peanuts and ate it to suppress the spiciness in his throat. ¡°Do you two want to eat something else?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t eat anymore.¡± ¡°I think another bag of peanuts wille in handy.¡± Seeing him put the peanuts on the te, Pei Zhen exchanged nces with Chu Kui. ¡°When do you n to meet Hongyuan?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t n to.¡± ¡°Are you still angry with him?¡± Lin Kanglu said nothing. He thought of Lin Hongyuan, whom he had given a cold shoulder time and time again, and his heart did not soften at all. ¡°Old Lin, he¡¯s your son after all!¡± Chu Kui saw through his emotions and quickly said, ¡°No grudge between a father and a son is too big to be resolved.¡± Pei Zhen chimed in, ¡°We can understand how you feel, but who hasn¡¯t made mistakes when they were young? You¡¯re already so old. Do you still want to hide in this vige for the rest of your life?¡± ¡°Hongyuan has been married for so long, but you haven¡¯t even seen his wife. If word gets out, how do you expect people to think about her?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re being unreasonable!¡± If not for Lin Kanglu waving his hand to interrupt them, they would have continued. ¡°Alright.¡± He wiped the corner of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. Give me some time.¡± Feeling that there was a chance, Pei Zhen and Chu Kui sensibly changed the topic to talk about his birthday instead. Theughter they let out was apanied by a breeze that brushed past the ears of the three people in the courtyard. Chu Yuzhou, who was leaning against the chair, had a de of foxtail grass in his mouth. ¡°What are they talking about?¡± ¡°Do you want to go in and listen?¡± ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t want to move.¡± Lin Jiao looked at his flushed face. ¡°Do you want some hangover soup? I¡¯ll cook it for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± He folded his hands behind his head. ¡°I just get flushed easily, but I¡¯m actually not drunk.¡± ¡°Is your heart beating fast?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lin Jiao was relieved. She yawned and leaned into Pei Zhi¡¯s arms, the pleasant afternoon sun shining on her face through the leaves. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll sleep for a while.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll catch a cold if you sleep here.¡± ¡°But I want to bask in the sun.¡± Pei Zhi went into the bedroom to find two nkets. He first threw one to Chu Yuzhou before carrying her to lie on the other recliner. ¡°When should I call you?¡± ¡°In forty minutes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll set an rm.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao leaned against his chest. She listened to his heartbeat and closed her eyes, slowly drifting into an undisturbed slumber. The sound of insects and birds chirping lingered in her ears. The birds resting on the branches pped their wings, casting a shadow over the sleeping face. The golden egg hanging in the sky gradually fell from the west as time passed, leaving only some afterglow to illuminate the mountains. The Mercedes-Benz parked by the field drove along the mountain path towards the bustling city as night fell. # Monday¡¯s bustle began with the morning meeting. The employees sitting around the conference room listened to Pan Jun in front of the projector and pointed out a series of questions. He looked at the employees and then at Lin Jiao. ¡°There¡¯s a big problem with the proposal you handed inst week.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Your writing is too ponderous and easy to get tired of. There isn¡¯t enough content for the clients to see.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I have the problem you¡¯re talking about.¡± Lin Jiao put down her fountain pen and retorted humbly. She met Pan Jun¡¯s gaze. ¡°The clients we¡¯re dealing with this time are different. All the important details must be included.¡± Pan Jun caught the gazes that others threw at him, and for the first time, he felt challenged. He said calmly, ¡°It¡¯s indeed necessary, but you included way beyond that is needed.¡± ¡°Have you really seen my proposal?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen every single one of the proposals you guys submitted seriously. There¡¯s no need to doubt that.¡± Lin Jiao wanted tough. She said calmly, ¡°ording to the procedure, the proposal I submitted will only be handed to you after Manager Wu approves it, right?¡± Pan Jun understood what she meant. He nced at Wu Xiuwen beside him. ¡°Your proposal this time will not be used.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s nothing wrong with it at all.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good for young people to be confident, but from a professional point of view, you still need to improve and learn.¡± Lin Jiao frowned. She sensed a deep meaning to his words and had a bad feeling. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°From now on, learn from your colleagues for a period of time. You don¡¯t have to write anything for the time being.¡± Pan Jun¡¯s words made the meeting room fall silent. The surrounding employees felt that it was unfair, but most of them had no intention of standing up for Lin Jiao. Only Wu Xiuwen and Zheng Yi stood up. The former said in an impartial manner, ¡°Lin has always been outstanding at her job. I don¡¯t think she needs to learn.¡± Thetter said likewise, ¡°I¡¯ve seen her proposal too. I really didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it.¡± Pan Jun¡¯s expression turned even uglier. He put down the documents in his hand impatiently and ced his hands on the table. ¡°I asked her to learn for her own good, not to harm her!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t ept your good intentions.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Pan Jun!¡± A sharp female voice sounded. A plump middle-aged woman pushed open the door of the conference room and red at him angrily. She took out a stack of photos from her bag and threw them on the conference table for all the employees to see. ¡°Is this why you insist on divorcing me?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± ¡°The evidence is here, but you still refuse to admit it?¡± Pan Jun hurriedly grabbed the photos, his eyes filled with panic. ¡°Don¡¯t frame me with PSed photos.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she in yourpany? Ask her toe out and confront me! Do you dare?!¡± ¡°Get out of here!¡± ¡°That says it all.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Let me tell you, Pan Jun, just wait and see how I ruin your life.¡± Pan Jun was afraid that the matter would blow up, so he dragged her to the office next door and mmed the door. After they left, the remaining employees picked up the photos. When they saw who the home-wrecker was, they couldn¡¯t help but exim. ¡°It¡¯s actually Zhao Lan?¡± ¡°Oh my gosh!¡± ¡°How did these two get together? I never saw them talk with each other.¡± ¡°They hid it well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s finished this time.¡± After watching the good show, Wu Xiuwen put away the photos and ended the morning meeting early. He called out to Lin Jiao, ¡°Lin Jiao, everyone knows how good you are at your job. Don¡¯t take what he said to heart.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s anger dissipated when his wife appeared. She guessed what would happen to Pan Jun and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re more suitable to manage the nning department than him.¡± Chapter 127 - 127 Some Are Happy, Some Are Sad 127 Some Are Happy, Some Are Sad When Wu Xiuwen saw those photos, he knew that he would be promoted soon. He smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about what hasn¡¯t happened yet. Go back to work.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and left. As soon as she returned to her desk, Meng Xi handed her dessert. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°I wanted to help you, but I haven¡¯t passed my probation yet. I can¡¯t go against him.¡± Although she was not short of money or jobs. However, she came to Sheng Heng because of a bet she made with her friend. She could not admit defeat because of someone else. ¡°I know.¡± Lin Jiao, who did not care, smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for the cake.¡± When she smiled, it was as if a valley of peach blossoms were blooming in unison, dazzling people. Just looking at her, Meng Xi seemed to smell a fresh fragrance. She smiled back and started talking about what just happened. ¡°Will Pan Jun be fired because of that?¡± ¡°He will.¡± ¡°What about the home-wrecker?¡± ¡°Same.¡± Lin Jiao typed on the keyboard. ¡°His wife came prepared. She¡¯ll definitely blow things up.¡± Meng Xi was looking forward to what would happen next. She opened Sheng Heng¡¯s group chat and scrolled through it a few times before finally seeing someone mention this. ¡°They said that the other departments received the photos as well.¡± ¡°His wife probably made a lot of copies of those photos.¡± ¡°What a spectacr show!¡± Immersed in gossip, the colleagues who were in no mood to work started discussing again. Suddenly, someone said, ¡°Shush! They¡¯reing out.¡± With that, all the eyes were fixed at the manager¡¯s office. Pan Jun dragged his wife out. In just a short period of time, he seemed to have aged a lot. He looked gloomy and tired. ¡°What are you all looking at?¡± He red at the employees at the desk and said in a deep voice, ¡°Continue working and stop poking your nose into my business.¡± ¡°Stop putting on airs.¡± His wife sneered. ¡°You¡¯re almost at the end of your career as a manager. Who will listen to you?¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°You have the gut to do it, but why don¡¯t you have the gut to admit it?¡± Pan Jun, who was extremely angry, covered her mouth and dragged her away as quickly as possible, thinking with his wife gone, this matter would automaticallye to an end. However, when he returned, Qu Shao, who had received the news, appeared in his office with the documents. At this moment, Pan Jun¡¯s mind was buzzing. He wanted to find exnations to get away with it, but when he met Qu Shao¡¯s eyes, heughed awkwardly and could not speak a word. When Qu Shao finished what he had to say, Pan Jun packed his things and went to the human resources department to resign. Some people were happy while others were sad. The sad one was gone while the happy one was called into Qu Shao¡¯s office. ¡°Who do you think is suitable to be the assistant manager?¡± Wu Xiuwen said honestly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Qin Jiao is not qualified yet to be promoted to that position.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to promote her.¡± Qu Shao decided to make things clear. ¡°Whether she gets promoted or not will depend on her performance and the normal process.¡± Wu Xiuwen¡¯s impression of Lin Jiao rose again. He was silent for a moment. ¡°I think Zheng Yi is not bad. He¡¯s very serious about his work.¡± ¡°What¡¯s his current position?¡± ¡°Supervisor.¡± ¡°He sounds like a good candidate.¡± Qu Shao believed in his judgment. He put out the cigarette in his hand and said, ¡°Finish the handover procedure as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Wu Xiuwen sent him off. He stood in front of his desk and coughed twice before announcing the news. ¡°From today onwards, Zheng Yi will be promoted to the deputy manager of the nning department!¡± Zheng Yi was stunned by the surprise. The apuse around him pulled him back from his thoughts and reminded him that he was not dreaming. Under Wu Xiuwen¡¯s signal, he walked forward with a reserved smile. ¡°Thank you for the promotion.¡± ¡°Keep working hard in the future.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Seeing that he was still in a daze, Wu Xiuwen did not intend to let him improvise a speech. ¡°The supervisor position is empty now. Whoever wants to give it a try can write a self-rmendation letter and hand it in to Manager Zheng before Friday.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± ¡°Old Wu, now that you are promoted to the manager, shouldn¡¯t you treat everyone to a dinner to celebrate?¡± ¡°And Manager Zheng, you have to treat us too!¡± ¡°I want to eat hotpot.¡± ¡°Ditto.¡± Wu Xiuwen had this thought in mind already. He would treat the entire department to a meal tomorrow evening while Zheng Yi would do so on Thursday. ¡°I¡¯ll go down with Manager Zheng.¡± He ended the topic. ¡°You guys go ahead and get busy.¡± Seeing him walk out with Zheng Yi, many staff started to write a self-rmendation letter and decided to fight for the position of supervisor. Meng Xi looked away with disinterest. She picked up the mirror to touch up her makeup and looked at Lin Jiao from the corner of her eye. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to write one?¡± ¡°No.¡± She just wanted to climb thedder step by step and pave a good foundation for herself. As Lin Jiao replied to Pei Yn¡¯s message, she asked, ¡°Are you ready to write your very first proposal?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± ¡°Then try your best to give it to Brother Zheng before Thursday.¡± Meng Xi suddenly sighed. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m not very confident.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even done it yet.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t even know where to start.¡± Lin Jiao gave her some guidance again. She did not go into too much detail and only brought up a few key points for Meng Xi to think about. ¡°Organize your thoughts first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Meng Xi had only typed two lines the entire morning and was already exhausted. ¡°Senior, are you going to the cafeteria?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out to eat with a friend.¡± ¡°Eat what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Lin Jiao closed herptop and went to the ground floor to meet Pei Yn. They had endless things to talk about when they were together, such as Pan Jun and Jiang Ye. ¡°I didn¡¯t even get to kiss him in the hot spring.¡± Pei Yn held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and walked into the rice noodle shop. ¡°He dodged it?¡± ¡°No.¡± She wiped the table. ¡°There were too many people around. I didn¡¯t get a chance.¡± ¡°Then is there anything different about him this time?¡± ¡°He seems to have be shy.¡± ¡°Why do you say that?¡± After ordering, Lin Jiao held the lemonade water the waiter ced on the table. ¡°He rarely looked at me when I was in my swimsuit. And he didn¡¯t let me get too close.¡± ¡°Did he blush?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn recalled. ¡°But I think that was because of the hot spring.¡± Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t figure it out either. She rubbed the ss with her fingers. ¡°Ask Qian Yue on Saturday to help you analyze his thought process.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn had the same idea. She took two sips of water and sighed. ¡°On Uncle¡¯s birthday, I can¡¯t bring him along.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°He has a full schedule this week.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Chu Yuzhou can keep youpany too.¡± She tore open the wrapper of the chopsticks. ¡°He broke up with Xia Nanruist week.¡± ¡°He was dumped?¡± ¡°No.¡± After hearing the whole story, Pei Yn shook her head and clicked her tongue. ¡°Naive girls are more suitable for him.¡± Chapter 128 - 128 You’re Tired of Me 128 You¡¯re Tired of Me ¡°Indeed.¡± Lin Jiao pushed the bowl to her. She rolled up some rice noodles. ¡°He¡¯s too soft-hearted and indecisive. He can¡¯t handle Xia Nanrui.¡± Pei Yn agreed. She chewed on the beef. ¡°I¡¯ll teach him a lesson the next time we meet.¡± The so-called ¡®Teaching a lesson¡¯ was mostly just a quarrel. !! Lin Jiao could already imagine the lively scene brought about by the two of them. She finished the entire bowl of rice noodles and changed the topic to Jiang Ye. ¡°When will he finish filming?¡± ¡°The week after next.¡± ¡°Did thepany arrange a new drama for him?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn scanned the payment code. ¡°He¡¯s terminating his contract with thepany at the end of the month.¡± ¡°How much does he have to pay to terminate the contract?¡± ¡°Six million.¡± Lin Jiao was stunned for a moment. ¡°That much?¡± She couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°Does he have enough savings?¡± ¡°He does.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not!¡± Pei Yn knew what she was worried about and said seriously, ¡°He doesn¡¯t need my help.¡± Seeing that she did not seem to be lying, Lin Jiao was slightly relieved. She threw away the tissue in her hand and walked out slowly. ¡°Whichpany is he going to join next?¡± ¡°Star River.¡± ¡°Then it¡¯ll be easier for you to find him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s eyes were filled with hope for the future. ¡°I want to live with him in the future.¡± Her smile was brighter than the stars. Lin Jiao listened to her n quietly, hoping that everything she wanted woulde true. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn stopped outside the elevator and asked in a low voice, ¡°Did you get the ring you bought?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll arrive tomorrow.¡± ¡°Show me when you get it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao gave her a look. After the other employees left, she went to the top floor alone. Pei Zhi, who had been waiting for her, made a cup of ck tea and ced it on the coffee table. He sat on the sofa and tapped his right hand on his knee a few times, listening to the sound of footsteps approaching. When that figure entered his vision, his distant and cold eyes were filled with warmth. ¡°What did you have for lunch?¡± He reached out a hand and pulled her into his arms as usual. ¡°Pork ribs and rice noodles.¡± ¡°The same noodle shop asst time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao wrapped her arms around his waist and looked up at him. ¡°Are you busy today?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Pei Zhi picked up the cup of ck tea. He fed her two sips. ¡°I met with a partner this morning, and I have two more meetings this afternoon.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips. She kissed the corner of his lips. ¡°Then rest with meter.¡± ¡°Kiss me again.¡± ¡°Did you hear what I just said?¡± Pei Zhi held the back of her head and gradually closed the distance between them. He tasted her lips until his mouth was filled with sweetness before pulling away. ¡°Do you still want to drink ck tea?¡± ¡°No.¡± His slightly hoarse voice entered Lin Jiao¡¯s ear like an electric current. It made her whole back itch. She leaned into his arms. ¡°Manager Wu is treating us to dinner tomorrow. I can¡¯t have dinner with you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow night?¡± ¡°Pick me up and take me to your house?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the letter of guarantee you wrote?¡± Pei Zhi pinched her cheek, his eyes filled with affection. ¡°It must be veryte after dinner.¡± Lin Jiao looked at him seriously. ¡°It¡¯s not safe for me to go home alone.¡± She could always find a lot of excuses. Every time this happened, Pei Zhi felt that the second use of the letter of guarantee was ineffectual. ¡°I¡¯ll send you to your house.¡± ¡°What if someone knocks on the door in the middle of the night?¡± ¡°Ming Xin¡¯s security is top notch. Usually, something like that won¡¯t happen.¡± Lin Jiao could not refute him. She fiddled with the cufflinks on his sleeve and lowered her head in disappointment. ¡°You don¡¯t care about me at all.¡± Pei Zhi, who had guessed that this would happen, held back from falling into her trap. He changed the topic. ¡°Be a good girl. Let¡¯s go in to have a rest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re tired of me.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°No need to exin.¡± She sniffed, looking like she was about to cry. ¡°I know I¡¯m not important.¡± Out of the blue, she started acting. Pei Zhi took a piece of tissue to help her wipe the non-existent tears. He patted her back cooperatively and coaxed, ¡°I¡¯ll take you to my house tomorrow, okay?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± Lin Jiao stopped crying in a second. She put her arms around his neck and looked up. ¡°I want to sleep now.¡± ¡°Not crying anymore?¡± ¡°I already cried my eyes out.¡± Pei Zhi let out a lowugh. He carried her into the lounge and changed into their pajamas before hitting the bed. ¡°Good afternoon.¡± He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her forehead. Lin Jiao closed her eyes, feeling peaceful. She pressed against his chest and wrapped herself in that unique smell of his. # The hotpot restaurant Wu Xiuwen booked was not far from Sheng Heng. After the employees of the nning department clocked out, they walked out of the hall and strolled along Sycamore Street. Meng Xi, who was here for the first time, looked at the restaurants on both sides. ¡°Senior, which restaurant do you think is the best?¡± ¡°About the same.¡± ¡°What if you had to pick one?¡± Lin Jiao pointed at the rice noodle shop. ¡°They have a variety of dishes. You won¡¯t get tired of it easily.¡± ¡°Rice noodles?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Meng Xi looked disgusted and did not even want to look at it. ¡°Eating that kind of thing is no different from chewing stic.¡± Lin Jiao finally realized how picky she was. She followed Zheng Yi and the others into the hotpot restaurant. When she found a seat and sat down, she asked, ¡°Then what do you usually eat?¡± ¡°It depends.¡± Meng Xi wiped the chair repeatedly. ¡°Most of the time, I eat Western food and seafood.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Snails, caviar, sea urchins, bellon oysters, and bluefin tuna.¡± Lin Jiao nodded casually. She took the menu from a female colleague. ¡°Do you want to eat any of these?¡± ¡°No.¡± Meng Xi did not like any of the dishes. She fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. After Lin Jiao was done ordering, sheined, ¡°Doesn¡¯t this shop even prepare aprons for us?¡± ¡°They do.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°The waiter will bring it over.¡± Lin Jiao knew that Meng Qian would continue toin for the rest of the dinner. In order to avoid being used as an emotional garbage dump, she put down her teacup in time and struck up a conversation with other colleagues. ¡°Guess who I saw?¡± Zhuo Yuan, who had returned from the washroom, interrupted them with a smile. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Wang Rui!¡± She raised her chin and pointed it at the corridor. ¡°I saw her wearing a waiter¡¯s uniform.¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Postive.¡± ¡°Why is she working here?¡± The two colleagues sitting opposite Lin Jiao were surprised. It was not that they looked down on waiters, but they did not expect Wang Rui to be a waiter. ¡°The sry here is not bad.¡± Zhuo Yuan thought of the recruitment poster posted at the door. ¡°Five thousand a month, and food and amodation are included.¡± Chapter 129 - 129 Don’t Bring Them to Humiliate Me 129 Don¡¯t Bring Them to Humiliate Me ¡°Is insurance included too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°She¡¯s here.¡± When Zhuo Yuan saw that figure, she quickly reminded them to end the topic. Wang Rui, who came in with a tray, was stunned when she saw the group of people. She ced tes of food on the shelf at the side and said indifferently, ¡°Everything you ordered is here.¡± !! ¡°Bring us a few aprons.¡± Meng Xi frowned and called out to her before she left. Wang Rui did not like to be ordered around by her. She clenched her fists, took a few aprons from the cab, and handed them to Meng Xi. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so dirty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a single use apron. What do you mean it¡¯s dirty?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see it with your eyes?¡± Meng Xi pointed at the oil stains on it. ¡°It¡¯s all oily and stinky.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t smell anything.¡± ¡°Then at least you can see the oil stains, right?¡± She threw the apron to Wang Rui. ¡°How can you give me something that someone else has used?¡± ¡°Are you deliberately making things difficult for me?¡± Wang Rui, who was easily triggered, thought that Meng Xi was doing it on purpose. Meng Xi was confused. ¡°Are you kidding me? Why would I do it on purpose? Aren¡¯t you the one who failed at your job?¡± ¡°If you think it¡¯s dirty, just get a new one. Why do you have to be so aggressive? Why did you talk to me with that attitude?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t dirty? That¡¯s why I was showing you the oil stains.¡± Wang Rui sneered. She stuffed the apron back into the cab. ¡°I¡¯ve already left Sheng Heng. There¡¯s no need for you to make things difficult for me.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have the right to make a request as a customer? How is she making things difficult for you?¡± A female colleague chimed in to speak up for Meng Xi. She pointed to the cab. ¡°Single use apron should have a wrapper, but the one you took out didn¡¯t. Why is that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Wang Rui took out a few unopened aprons from the second drawer. ¡°The service of this restaurant is too bad.¡± Meng Xi crossed her arms. ¡°I won¡¯te again.¡± ¡°As you wish. I don¡¯t care!¡± Wang Rui threw the aprons on the empty chair and stormed out. ¡°She has quite a temper.¡± ¡°Is she delusional? Meng Xi doesn¡¯t even know her, so why would she make things difficult for her?¡± ¡°She has always liked to y tricks on others, which was why she was fired.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let her spoil our mood.¡± Qian Yongjun picked up a piece of tripe and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡± The fragrance that came with the rising steam aroused the appetite of everyone present. They couldn¡¯t be bothered by someone unimportant. The sound of bowls and chopsticks colliding and theughter lingering around made the entire private room even more lively. After paying the bill, Wu Xiuwen tucked his briefcase under his arm and asked with a smile, ¡°I live in the East District. Who wants a ride?¡± Zhuo Yuan raised her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Qian Yongjun, who was beside her, stood up and followed Wu Xiuwen, saying goodbye to everyone at the door. ¡°Tell us in the group when you get home.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Seeing that they were heading different directions, Meng Xi pressed the car key twice. ¡°Senior, do you want me to send you back?¡± ¡°No need. My boyfriend ising to pick me up.¡± ¡°How long until he gets here?¡± ¡°About ten minutes.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Meng Xi couldn¡¯t stand the smell of hotpot on her body and wanted to go home to take a shower. Seeing her drive away, Lin Jiao, who was about to walk down the steps, was stopped by a familiar voice. ¡°Lin Jiao.¡± Wang Rui remembered the lesson fromst time and did not dare to get too close to her. She stuffed her hands in her pockets. ¡°You suggesteding to dine here tonight to make a fool of me today, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± ¡°Who else would it be if not you?¡± Lin Jiao tightened her jacket. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in a stranger¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°Heh, do you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡± ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡± Her nonchnt attitude made Wang Rui feel an indescribable sense of frustration, as if she was exploding with anger but couldn¡¯t vent it. ¡°Lin Jiao, can you let me off?¡± She chose to give in, hoping for reconciliation. ¡°Did I make things difficult for you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of asking me to let you off since I¡¯ve done nothing to you?¡± Wang Rui didn¡¯t want to argue. She looked straight into her eyes. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t bring them to insult me again.¡± ¡°You should really go to see a psychologist.¡± Lin Jiao crossed the road before the traffic light changed. She ignored the roar behind her and got into the passenger seat of the Mercedes that had been parked there for a while. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°A former colleague.¡± ¡°The one who stole your proposal?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Lin Jiao took the juice from him. ¡°Ignore her. She has a mental problem.¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow after hearing the whole story. He stepped on the elerator. ¡°It¡¯s hard for someone like her to survive in society.¡± Lin Jiao looked at Wang Rui, who was being pointed at by her boss, and could guess what she was about to face. Instead of Wang Rui, she was more concerned about him. ¡°What did you eat tonight?¡± ¡°Beef noodles.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s instant noodles.¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi turned the steering wheel to the left. Lin Jiao was relieved. She looked out the window at the night sky and only looked away when the neon lights disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m so full.¡± When they got out of the car, she held his hand and put it under her sweater. ¡°My stomach is bloated.¡± When he suddenly touched her skin, Pei Zhi felt like his palm was being burned. ¡°Do you want to take a walk with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to walk.¡± ¡°Then eat a probiotic tablet when we get home.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She ced a hand on her hip. ¡°Do I look like a pregnant woman?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Pei Zhi pressed the elevator button. He put his arm around her shoulder and looked at her t stomach. ¡°You¡¯ll look more like one if you stuff a pillow under your clothes.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and followed him into the elevator. She suddenly asked, ¡°Do you like boys or girls?¡± ¡°I like both.¡± ¡°What if you have to choose one?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t choose.¡± Pei Zhi pressed against the top of her head. ¡°I like whoever you give birth to.¡± Lin Jiao felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She stood in front of the living room and let him help her change shoes. ¡°Uncle.¡± After eating the probiotic tablet, shey weakly on his chest. ¡°Help me massage it.¡± Pei Zhi reached into her sweater with his left hand. He focused on rubbing her stomach while changing the channel with the remote control in his other hand. A song sounded, breaking the silence around them and apanying them through an ordinary but warm night. Chapter 130 - 130 I Like Him Even More Than Yesterday 130 I Like Him Even More Than Yesterday Lujing Vi. A row of ck cars drove into the underground parking lot of the hotel. A middle-aged man waiting at the elevator called over dozens of waiters dressed in the same suit. The waiters went forward and respectfully opened the car door for the guests, leading them to the garden in the backyard. Behind an arched door covered in green leaves, a long table covered in a white tablecloth was filled with wine and delicacies. There were two bonfires beside the long table. The raging mes were disturbed by the breeze, casting their dancing shadow on the projection screen. ¡°Does anyone want to sing a song?¡± Chu Yuzhou tested the microphone and said, ¡°I¡¯ll sing a song for everyone first.¡± ¡°Sing whatever you want.¡± ¡°I will try my best.¡± ¡°Sing us Thinking Out Loud.¡± Pei Yn picked one that she thought was not well-known, but she didn¡¯t expect him to be able to sing the full song. With a serious expression on his face, Chu Yuzhou started humming the melody. He dragged out thest syble. ¡°And darlin¡¯ I will, be lovin¡¯ you, till we¡¯re seventy.¡¯¡± The romantic atmospherested until the end of the song. Lin Jiao was very supportive. ¡°It¡¯s very nice.¡± Seeing him walking over, she picked up the red wine ss on the table and clinked sses with him. Chu Yuzhou said humbly with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be happy as long as you don¡¯t find it torturing.¡± Zhou Yanshen suddenly asked, ¡°Jiaojiao, when will my new girlfriend arrive?¡± ¡°About eight o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°There is still one more hour.¡± He raised his wrist slightly and tapped the dial twice. Pei Zhi looked up. ¡°Are you nning to fall in love with her the first time you see her?¡± ¡°Why would I?¡± ¡°Then why are you in such a hurry?¡± ¡°This ce is too empty.¡± Zhou Yanshen pointed at his heart and said casually, ¡°I need someone to fill it up.¡± Qu Shao was speechless when he heard that. He picked up the petals that fell on the te and asked out of curiosity, ¡°What does your new girlfriend look like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never even seen her photo?¡± ¡°Her looks are not important.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked at him seriously. ¡°I care more about her inner beauty.¡± ¡°Do you believe what you just said?¡± Chu Yuzhou swallowed a raw oyster and couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°If she has a pockmarked face and love handle, will you still care about her inner beauty?¡± ¡°The thing is that there are no such ifs.¡± Zhou Yanshen forked a piece of steak and handed it to Lin Jiao. ¡°Jiaojiao¡¯s friends can¡¯t be too bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Chu Yuzhou lowered his head and picked up his food. ¡°They can¡¯t be as bad as someone.¡± ¡°Chu Yuzhou, who are you implying?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Pei Yn grabbed his ear and looked at him fiercely like she was going to devour him alive. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about you.¡± Chu Yuzhou did not dare to provoke her again. Hearing him scream like a chicken, Lin Jiao burst outughing. She chewed on the prawn and pushed away the food that was continuously put into her te. ¡°It¡¯s too much.¡± ¡°Thest one.¡± He forked up a piece of roasted chicken and fed it to her lips. He insisted on waiting for her to swallow it before starting to take care of his own stomach. Lin Jiao, who was always ced first by him, stared at his side profile and suddenly felt touched. When no one was looking, she secretly kissed the corner of his lips and said softly, ¡°Uncle, I like you even more than yesterday.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Me too,¡± he whispered into her ear, his words filled with love. They looked at each other and smiled. Zhou Yanshen happened to see the scene. He leaned against the chair and clicked his tongue. ¡°Can you consider the feelings of single people?¡± ¡°Are you considered single?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not here yet. Of course I am.¡± ¡°We¡¯re the real single ones.¡± Chu Yuzhou put down his knife and fork and clinked sses with Qu Shao. Pei Yn said, ¡°Me too.¡± Although she did not want to admit it, the truth was right in front of her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you two are still not together after so long.¡± ¡°Soon.¡± Chu Yuzhou could not bring himself to dash her hope. He sighed silently. When night fell, he followed them to the bonfire. ¡°Do you want to y games?¡± He fiddled with the empty wine bottle and gave them a sweeping nce. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Lin Jiao looked at Zhou Yanshen after reading a message she just received. ¡°They¡¯re at the entrance.¡± Zhou Yanshen instantly sat up straight. He undid a button on his cor and adjusted it. ¡°Yuzhou, sit over there.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Yuzhou made room for the neer. He looked at the two figures approaching under the dim light. ¡°Brother Yanshen, what¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Zhou Yanshen narrowed his eyes. His gaze swept past her voluptuous figure and stopped on that extremely exotic face. There was an indescribable familiarity. Qian Yue, who had deliberately dressed up, walked to their side and greeted them with a smile. When she met Zhou Yanshen¡¯s gaze, she reached out to shake his hand and said nothing about having met him before. ¡°Sit down first.¡± Zhou Yanshen moved the chair and quietly closed the distance between them. His action made Qian Yue smile even more. She sat on the soft chair very reservedly and had no intention of talking to him, let alone looking at him. Before Zhou Yanshen could figure out a topic to talk with her, Chu Yuzhou said first, ¡°Qiann Yue, are you a mix?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Her mother is a Uighur.¡± Pei Yn poured a ss of champagne and handed it to her. ¡°No wonder her facial features are so well-defined.¡± ¡°Where is your hometown?¡± Zhou Yanshen rubbed the lighter and looked at her. Qian Yue took two sips of champagne. ¡°Ili.¡± She looked down. ¡°Are you going to smoke?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like the smell of smoke?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± After confirming that she could tolerate the smell of smoke, he slowly lit a cigarette. His overly gentlemanly manner made Chu Yuzhou want tough. ¡°Let¡¯s y Truth or Dare?¡± Chu Yuzhou suggested. ¡°You guys go ahead.¡± Shen Yi ate the roasted chicken that the waiter had just served. ¡°I want to fill my stomach first.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have dinner?¡± ¡°I had an operation in the evening and didn¡¯t have time to fix myself something to eat.¡± ¡°How about you, Qian Yue?¡± ¡°I did.¡± Qian Yue stared at the wine bottle in his hand. ¡°How do we y it?¡± Chu Yuzhou exined the rules before handing the bottle to Pei Zhi. ¡°The birthday boy first.¡± Pei Zhi spun it casually. Seeing that the bottle was pointed at Lin Jiao, heughed and asked, ¡°Jiaojiao, Truth or Dare?¡± ¡°Dare.¡± ¡°Then give me a kiss?¡± ¡°You can do that?¡± Chu Yuzhou widened his eyes. He had reason to suspect that they wanted to use the game to disy their affectionate love. ¡°Brother Pei, at least give him something more challenging.¡± Chapter 131 - 131 Unchanging Birthday Wish 131 Unchanging Birthday Wish Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°Kiss me twice.¡± With that, he felt a warm and moist feeling on his lips. Lin Jiao kissed him twice. The smiles in their eyes were filled with love. Even the air seemed to have be sweet. Chu Yuzhou swallowed the dog food silently and asked Qu Shao to continue spinning the bottle. The wine bottle rolling on thewn slowly stopped, pointing at Zhou Yanshen. ¡°I choose truth.¡± ¡°What type of woman do you like?¡± ¡°Elegant and generous.¡± He looked at Qian Yue. ¡°That¡¯d be better if she has a pair of beautiful eyes.¡± Qian Yue remained calm, her expression unreadable. She stared at the spinning wine bottle, looking forward to him choosing Dare. After the first round ended, Chu Yuzhou, who was thest to receive the bottle, started the second round. Seeing that the bottle was aimed at Qian Yue, he held back hisughter and said seriously, ¡°Pick a person and ask him to do ten push-ups with you.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Sit on his back.¡± Qian Yue was conflicted, not knowing who to choose. She first looked at Chu Yuzhou. Seeing that he was shaking his head and refusing with the excuse of feeling ufortable, she could only ask Zhou Yanshen to do it. ¡°Mr. Zhou, is that okay with you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Zhou Yanshen was excited by being called ¡°Mr. Zhou¡±. He got down on thewn without hesitation. He ced his palm on the ground. ¡°Count it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Qian Yue sat down on his back. She ced her right hand on his shoulder to stabilize herself, her charming voice lingering in his ears. Zhou Yanshen¡¯s ears went numb from hearing it. He stared at thewn and tried his best to ignore the softness in his back. When she counted to ten, he finally let out a breath. ¡°Brother Yanshen, are you tired?¡± Chu Yuzhou handed them a cigarette and raised an eyebrow teasingly. ¡°Not at all.¡± Chu Yuzhou turned off the rm on his phone and leaned towards Pei Yn. He whispered, ¡°Another half hour.¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°In the trunk.¡± Pei Yn walked around and returned with several car keys. ¡°Who¡¯s going to help us bring it over?¡± ¡°There are people downstairs.¡± Chu Yuzhou dragged her to the parking lot. He opened a few trunks in a row and asked the waiter to move the boxes to the trolley. ¡°Why is the firework gone?¡± ¡°Are you blind?¡± Pei Yn raised her chin at the trolley. ¡°They took it out already.¡±= ¡°Still four are missing.¡± ¡°Go and look in the back seat.¡± Chu Yuzhou still couldn¡¯t find it. ¡°Forget it.¡± Afraid he wouldn¡¯t make it in time, he dragged her to the archway. ¡°Leave the things here for now.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too far away.¡± Pei Yn asked the waiter to walk around to the back and hide the gift box under the long table. She panted. ¡°It¡¯s time to tell them.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Yuzhou informed them one by one. When it was five minutes to midnight, he asked the waiter to bring the cake over. ¡°Brother Pei, let¡¯s sit over there.¡± Fresh and plump rose petals scattered on the spotless tablecloth, and a few candlesticks were arranged evenly. The wine sses were filled with red wine, decorating the table together with the rose petals. Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes were filled with gentleness. He stopped in front of a dark gray simple cake and watched them light candles. ¡°Happy birthday to you¡­¡± Lin Jiao hummed the tune. She looked at his face with a bright smile. Other than him, there was nothing else in her eyes. ¡°Make a wish!¡± Pei Zhi closed his eyes. He made the same wish that he had made for four years. May she be safe and sound. May her wish be fulfilled. May she be loved and taken care of. ¡°Surprise!¡± When Pei Zhi opened his eyes, Chu Yuzhou and Shen Yi lit the firework. The colorful fireworks filled the sky, creating beautiful images. They all sent gifts to Pei Zhi one by one. Lin Jiao, who was thest to send a gift, also took out a square box with a bow tie. She handed it to him with both hands. ¡°Open it.¡± Pei Zhi opened the box. Cartier¡¯s logo gradually appeared. He subconsciously thought it was a wristwatch. However, when he opened the box and saw a pair of rings, he felt like he had stopped breathing. Lin Jiao was a little nervous. ¡°Do you like it?¡± ¡°I like it.¡± Especially. ¡°Then I¡¯ll put it on for you.¡± She carefully picked up the ring and asked him to reach out a hand. ¡°Where do you want to wear it?¡± ¡°Left middle finger.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s fingertips were trembling. He closed his eyes and felt the coldness of the ring pass through his fingers, his heart beating crazily as if it was wrapped tightly in turbulent seawater. He couldn¡¯t help but reveal a joyful smile. Picking up the female ring with a diamond embedded in it, he put it on her middle finger devoutly like a believer. The two rings pulled them closer again. Lin Jiao stood on her tiptoes. ¡°Happy birthday.¡± She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Their undisguised affection made everyone envious. Chu Yuzhou, who had recorded this moment, looked at the couple in the camera and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s so touching.¡± ¡°President Pei, please.¡± Shen Yi picked up the cake knife on the table and handed it over. Pei Zhi took out the extinguished candles. He cut eight pieces of cake and held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand as they returned to the bonfire to prevent her from getting cold. ¡°Do you want to eat barbecue?¡± He wiped the cream off the corner of her lips and asked gently. ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao took a bite of the cake and deliberately leaned over to kiss him. ¡°I want to barbecue it for you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get them to send the ingredients over.¡± Pei Zhi asked Qu Shao to inform the hotel employees. He tilted his head slightly. ¡°Do you still want to kiss me?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t you had enough of it?¡± ¡°Far from enough.¡± Lin Jiao satisfied him. She kissed him twice and wiped his cheek. ¡°Brother Yanshen and the others are here to drink with you.¡± Pei Zhi looked up and saw a few smiling faces. He took the ss of wine that was about to overflow and was about to drink with them when he was stopped. ¡°One at a time.¡± Shen Yi clinked sses with him. ¡°I wish you two a long life together.¡± Pei Zhi downed the ss without hesitation. He looked at Chu Yuzhou, who was still thinking. ¡°You haven¡¯t figured out what to say yet?¡± ¡°I got an idea!¡± Chu Yuzhou cleared his throat. Chapter 132 - 132 You Two Are Compatible 132 You Two Are Compatible He raised his ss with a serious expression. ¡°I wish you all the best.¡± Pei Zhi smiled and downed the second ss. He moved his chair closer to the bonfire with them and chatted while barbecuing. A momentter, the fragrance of grilled meat spread. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who was flipping the skewers, narrowed his eyes at the smoke. ¡°Do you eat meat?¡± ¡°I grew up in Lin City. I don¡¯t have those taboos.¡± ¡°Then try this.¡± Qian Yue bit into a piece of pork belly and savored the fragrance. ¡°It tastes good.¡± ¡°What else do you want to eat?¡± ¡°Nothing for now.¡± She handed him a tissue to wipe the oil off his hands. ¡°You eat too.¡± Chu Yuzhou happened to see their interaction. ¡°I suddenly realized.¡± He quickly swallowed the beef in his mouth and continued, ¡°You two are quitepatible.¡± Pei Yn looked at them with a face as red as the setting sun and added, ¡°You two can try to get to know each other better.¡± ¡°Did you drink too much?¡± Chu Yuzhou asked out of concern. ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°Your face is especially red.¡± Pei Yn took out a mirror to take a look. She refused to admit that she was drunk. ¡°I¡¯m like Chu Yuzhou. I get flushed easily but it doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m drunk.¡± ¡°Cut it out.¡± Chu Yuzhou threw away the skewer. He leaned closer to look at her blurry eyes. ¡°If you¡¯re not drunk, I¡¯ll take your surname.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not drunk.¡± Pei Yn picked up the wine bottle and said with cockiness, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯spete.¡± ¡°It¡¯s boring to just drink.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s y games.¡± Chu Yuzhou called everyone to join. After three rounds, Pei Yn was still sober, but Lin Jiao was a little drunk. ¡°Uncle.¡± She grabbed Pei Zhi¡¯s cor and sat between his knees. ¡°I want to eat corn.¡± Pei Zhi delivered it to her mouth. He lowered his eyes and watched her chew the corn one by one. He asked gently, ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy.¡± She was just hungry. Lin Jiao ate three skewers of vegetables and finally felt full. ¡°Wipe my mouth.¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it.¡± Pei Zhi could only wipe it again. He deliberately slowed down so that she could see the tissue on her lips. ¡°Don¡¯t drink so much next time.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at him, her clear eyes seeming to be filled with stars. She was so obedient that Pei Zhi wanted to bully her. He touched his forehead with hers, his breath fragrant with wine. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to help myself.¡± Lin Jiao nodded slowly, not quite understanding what he meant. She sat up straight and looked at the others. ¡°Who lost?¡± ¡°Qu Shao.¡± ¡°Is his alcohol tolerance good?¡± ¡°It depends on who he¡¯speting with.¡± Pei Zhi hugged her waist tightly and pulled her closer to him. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°You still want to drink?¡± Chapter 133 - 133 Washing Her Feet 133 Washing Her Feet ¡°What if he¡¯speting with me?¡± Lin Jiao did not seem to hear his question. ¡°His alcohol tolerance is better than yours.¡± ¡°No.¡± She bit his earlobe and scolded him in a muffled voice, ¡°Reorganize your words.¡± The warm touch was like an electric current that ran from Pei Zhi¡¯s spine to his limbs. With a stiff back, he turned his head to avoid her lips as he grabbed her chin. ¡°You¡¯re better than him.¡± !! ¡°How much better?¡± ¡°Much much better. He¡¯ll get drunk after two sses.¡± Lin Jiao was satisfied. She rubbed his ear and watched it turn red. ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± Pei Zhi pulled her hand away. He lifted his chin in Qian Yue¡¯s direction to distract her attention. ¡°Qian Yue lost.¡± ¡°Brother Yanshen will drink it for her.¡± Zhou Yanshen had indeed helped her drink a lot. He wiped the wine stain off his lips and whispered into Qian Yue¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you still want to y?¡± His fragrant breath brushed past the tip of her nose. When Qian Yue met his eyes, her heart skipped a beat, but she did not show it. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°If you want, I¡¯ll y with you.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s y two more rounds?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± With Zhou Yanshen helping her cheat, she rarely lost in the following rounds. As night fell, the light emitted by the bonfire became weaker and weaker. The group of people also became sleepy due to alcohol. ¡°Brother Yanshen, where¡¯s the room card?¡± Chu Yuzhou ced his hand on Shen Yi¡¯s shoulder and helped him walk unsteadily. ¡°Upstairs.¡± ¡°Does everyone have a room?¡± ¡°Who else do you want to sleep with?¡± Pei Zhi carried Lin Jiao into the elevator and pressed the floor button. ¡°With Shen Yi.¡± Shen Yi nced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± He didn¡¯t want to be tortured by snoring all night. ¡°Are you still my bro?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I want to sleep with Qian Yue.¡± Pei Yn leaned on her shoulder, finding it hard to even open her eyes. Qian Yue helped her walk out. She took the room card from the waiter and turned to look at Zhou Yanshen. ¡°Mr. Zhou, good night.¡± ¡°Good night.¡± Zhou Yanshen waited for them to close the door before dragging his tired body to the other side. The sound of doors closing could be heard one after another. Bright moonlight shone into different rooms from all directions, wrapping figures in hazy light. ¡°Jiaojiao, sit down.¡± Pei Zhi ced the towel in the basin and sat up straight with her in his arms. ¡°I¡¯m done washing up.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t washed your feet yet.¡± ¡°Here you go.¡± Lin Jiao slowly raised her feet. With her eyes half-closed, she reached to the back of her waist with her right hand to unbutton the bras and pull it out. Pei Zhi, who was still taking off her socks, was suddenly covered by something. He removed the bras on his head and looked at her fair shoulders. ¡°Pull up the cor.¡± Lin Jiao did it unwillingly. She held her cor with two fingers and slowly pulled it up under his dark gaze. ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Pei Zhi held her ankle. He looked at her delicate feet. His fingers brushed past her thin Achilles tendon andnded on her round ankles. Holding her feet in his hands, he slowly put them into the warm water. Lin Jiao curled her toes. She tickled his skin and whispered, ¡°It tickles.¡± Chapter 134 - 134 Dreaming Again 134 Dreaming Again Pei Zhi, who was tickled, did not evenin. He pinched her toes and passed his fingertips through the gaps between her toes to wash them patiently. Lin Jiao, who could not move, stopped curling her toes. Under his gentle massage, she closed her eyes in enjoyment. Seeing that she was about to fall asleep, Pei Zhi wiped the water off her feet and passed a hand through the gap between her waist and arm. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He held her waist and rubbed her soft skin. ¡°Change your clothes before you sleep.¡± Lin Jiao subconsciously lifted the hem of her shirt. Before she could expose an inch of her skin, Pei Zhi turned around and handed her the pajamas. ¡°Come up and keep mepany.¡± She didn¡¯t even bother to button the pajamas and got into bed. Pei Zhi lifted the nket and got in, using his strong arm to pillow her. He kissed her on the forehead, just like how he did every other night. The moonlight pouring down from the window gradually weakened. Day and night changed shifts. Birds in the mountains flew past the balcony under the ring sun and let out high-pitched chirps. Chu Yuzhou, who was the first to wake up, turned on the stereo and yed a random song at max volume. With a cigarette in his mouth, he pushed open the ss door of the balcony and looked at the towering mountain in the distance. ¡°It¡¯s a typical sensation.¡± ¡°Feeling this sensation, my love.¡± He hummed to the melody, waking up the others. ¡°Chu Yuzhou, shut up!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a typical sensation.¡± Seeing that he wasn¡¯t going to stop, Pei Yn walked to the balcony with the pillow and threw it to the right. ¡°Are you crazy?¡± Chu Yuzhou identally dropped the cigar on the pillow and stepped on it to keep the fire from spreading. His flustered look made people want tough. Pei Yn fought back theughter and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t be such an annoyance so early in the morning.¡± ¡°Did I disturb you?¡± Another pillow was thrown at him. Chu Yuzhou kicked the cigarette butt away and was finally angry. ¡°Do you have to always be so childish?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pretending to be deaf?¡± He picked up the pillow, grabbed the railing with one hand, stood on tiptoe, and threw it back at her. In such a manner, a pillow fight broke out. The music and noise made Pei Zhi, who was leaning against the bed, no longer sleepy. He stood up and put on his sweater. When he turned around, he saw Lin Jiao searching for something. He asked in confusion, ¡°Jiaojiao, what are you looking for?¡± ¡°A stick.¡± ¡°Where did the sticke from?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Lin Jiao lifted the nket and couldn¡¯t find the stick anywhere. She knelt by the bed. ¡°How strange.¡± ¡°Did you dream?¡± Pei Zhi tucked her hair behind her ear. Lin Jiao thought for a moment and felt that he was right. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡°Did the stick chase you in your dream?¡± ¡°No.¡± She asked Pei Zhi to bring the clothes over and nned to get changed first. ¡°I can¡¯t even remember.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her lips. ¡°Then change first.¡± He walked to the balcony with a cigarette and lighter to watch the pillow fight that had yet to end. Seeing that Pei Yn was exhausted, Chu Yuzhou threw away the pillow and could not be bothered to y with her anymore. He lit another cigarette and asked when he saw Pei Zhi, ¡°Brother Pei, where are we going today?¡± ¡°Back Mountain.¡± ¡°Ride the cable car?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi blew out a puff of smoke. ¡°Wash up and go downstairs to eat.¡± Chu Yuzhou returned with a few pillows. He tidied his messy hair and turned off the music before leaving. Chapter 135 - 135 Surviving in the Wildness 135 Surviving in the Wildness The midwinter sun was warm. The group followed the quiet mountain path and gradually walked to the cable car. They got into the two cable cars one after another and rode higher and higher. ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Zhou Yanshen looked at Lin Jiao and Qian Yue. ¡°No.¡± ¡°This height is still eptable.¡± They looked out of the window and saw the clear stream and dense trees. A breeze slipped in from the window, blowing their hair into a mess and quietly stirring their hearts. When the cable car stopped, Zhou Yanshen came back to his senses. He pushed open that door and stepped out, waiting for them to follow along. ¡°Is there no staff up here?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then how are we going to get there?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a sign behind you.¡± Pei Zhi gestured for him to move to the side so that he could see the words. He waited for Chu Yuzhou and the others to get out of the car and walked along the road, getting closer and closer to the forest. The road in the forest was not easy to walk. There were many dead branches and rocks, leaving a faint sound and trace wherever they passed. The birds flying overhead asionally blocked the sun. Their cries echoed in the forest, making the surrounding atmosphere inexplicably strange. Pei Yn zipped up her jacket. ¡°I feel like we¡¯re surviving in the wilderness.¡± ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s quite exciting.¡± ¡°Do you think there are wild boars here?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao pushed aside the dead branches in front of him. ¡°But there are many poisonous spiders and centipedes.¡± ¡°No way?¡± ¡°Really.¡± When he pulled a long face, his words were much more believable. ¡°That¡¯s why I told you not to show your ankles.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t scare me.¡± ¡°Look at the tree if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Chu Yuzhou really found a spider. He leaned closer to take a look and asked Shen Yi, ¡°Is this a poisonous spider?¡± ¡°No,¡± Shen Yi said indifferently. ¡°Even if you see a poisonous spider, as long as you don¡¯t touch it, it won¡¯t bite you.¡± Lin Jiao, who was most afraid of spiders, had goosebumps just by hearing their conversation. ¡°Uncle.¡± She edged toward Pei Zhi and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s walk faster.¡± ¡°Do you want me to carry you?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Pei Zhi diverted her attention. ¡°Jiaojiao, find the sign.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao looked around. They followed the signs and finally walked out of the winding road and stopped by the stream. About three to four meters from the surface of the stream, there was a single wooden bridge held up by a steel rope. There were only a few dozen wooden stakes on the bridge, but each stake was separated by a distance. Just looking at them made one nervous. ¡°I¡¯ll go up and try it first.¡± Chu Yuzhou tied the safety rope on the steel rope and walked to the wooden stake. He raised his right foot and took the first step. After stabilizing his footing, he turned around and said, ¡°This wooden stake is not wide enough. It¡¯s not easy to step on.¡± ¡°Look down.¡± ¡°Not high. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Wait for me.¡± Pei Yn followed closely behind, one hand holding the steel cable as she stepped forward. She looked at the clear stream and was ok with the height. ¡°It¡¯s indeed not high, but looking at it for too long makes me dizzy.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t look.¡± Chu Yuzhou waited for her every two steps so that he could save her in time if she was too stupid to miss her step and fell into the stream. He stopped in the middle and shouted at the people on the other side of the bridge, ¡°Why are you still standing there?¡± Chapter 136 - 136 Strange Cave 136 Strange Cave Zhou Yanshen helped Qian Yue put on the safety rope. He gazed into those eyes, gentlemanly and considerate. ¡°Tell me if you¡¯re afraid.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qian Yue stepped onto the first stake. She seemed to be a little unsteady as she grabbed the steel rope and took a step forward. After crossing a few wooden stakes, she felt inexplicably dizzy. ¡°Mr. Zhou, can you help me?¡± Zhou Yanshen leaned towards her. When he held her left hand, an unprecedented feeling welled up in his heart. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± Heforted her gently with a smile. ¡°I won¡¯t let you fall.¡± The warmth of his palm wrapped around Qian Yue. She looked at his back and the throbbing feeling was even stronger thanst night. Even thest trace of nervousness was gone. When they reached the middle, Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and slowly stepped on the wooden stake. ¡°Jiaojiao, don¡¯t look down.¡± He knew that her fear came from the wooden stake, so with every step he took, he would turn around to wait for her. A scene suddenly shed across Lin Jiao¡¯s mind. ¡°Uncle.¡± She pushed aside the hair stuck to her cheek. ¡°Do you remember the French restaurant we went to before?¡± ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°The ss bridge over there is even scarier than this.¡± Pei Zhi let out a lowugh. He reminded her again, ¡°Steady your step before stepping forward.¡± Lin Jiao pulled herself back from her thoughts and walked forward carefully. Qu Shao, who was following behind her, stared at the fish that jumped out of the stream. ¡°Shen Yi, look at the one on the right. It¡¯s so fat.¡± ¡°You want to eat it?¡± ¡°Yes, but I can¡¯t get it.¡± Shen Yi¡¯s gazended on his waist. He stepped on the wooden stake on Qu Shao¡¯s left. ¡°Compared to that, fixing the broken safety rope is more urgent.¡± ¡°Whose safety rope?¡± ¡°Yours.¡± Qu Shao turned around. ¡°F*ck!¡± His shocked voice made the fish in the stream jump even more happily. Even the water sshing seemed to be mocking him. ¡°I¡¯ll get Chu Yuzhou to send one to you.¡± Shen Yi picked up the strap on his leg, his expression calm. ¡°This height should be fine.¡± ¡°But you¡¯ll definitely break your bones if you fall.¡± To be safe, he shouted across the bridge. Hearing the voice, Chu Yuzhou walked back. He handed the safety rope to Qu Shao. ¡°How did you break it? Did you tear it?¡± ¡°No, it broke itself.¡± ¡°The quality is too bad!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them when we get back.¡± Qu Shao looked at the fat fish and reluctantly stepped down the wooden stakes with them. ¡°Where should we go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. There are no more signs.¡± Qian Yue saw the red ribbon and said, ¡°There¡¯s a piece of paper on the tree.¡± She pointed at the tree behind Lin Jiao. ¡°It¡¯s too high. We need two people to reach it.¡± ¡°Who wants to volunteer?¡± Chu Yuzhou squatted down against the tree trunk. There were only three women present who were considered light. Pei Yn reluctantly sat on his shoulder. She hugged his head and mped his face with her forearm when he stood up, afraid that he would identally throw her out. ¡°Pei Yn, let go of your hand!¡± ¡°It¡¯s your honor to be hugged by me, okay?¡± Chu Yuzhou felt frustrated. He raised his chin at the branch, not in the mood to argue with her. ¡°How are you going to get the thing if you are holding me with both hands?¡± ¡°Then stop wobbling.¡± Pei Yn reached out her right hand and grabbed the ribbon. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a map.¡± Zhou Yanshen unfolded the piece of paper and carefully looked at the icons and routes on it. ¡°Which way should we go now?¡± ¡°The right way.¡± They walked along the mud road on the right and stopped in front of a cave covered by dense flowers. There was no light in the quiet cave. Not only was it impossible to see the end of it with the naked eye, but it also gave people the feeling that they were staring into an abyss. ¡°You guys go first.¡± Shen Yi stepped aside and extinguished the cigarette. ¡°I¡¯ll walk in the back with Qu Shao.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll walk in front.¡± ¡°Turn on the shlights.¡± Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s arm and followed behind the others. When they walked deep into the cave, the sunlight that shone on the cave entrancepletely disappeared. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Pei Yn, who stopped at the fork, screamed. She grabbed Chu Yuzhou¡¯s sleeve and pointed to the left. ¡°A shadow floated past!¡± ¡°You must be mistaken.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not. There really is a shadow!¡± Lin Jiao said with uncertainty, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a staff member?¡± She stood on her tiptoes and looked around. ¡°Is anyone there?¡± Qu Shao shouted. It was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. However, no one responded. He shone the shlight inside and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we go over and take a look?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of? Hide behind me.¡± Chu Yuzhou pulled Pei Yn, who was as timid as a quail, behind him, his eyes filled with mockery. He shook the shlight on the wall and looked up when he heard the sound of water dripping. ¡°Pa ta¡ª¡± A few drops of waternded on his forehead. He wiped it casually and was about to tell the rest of them when he heard a piercing scream. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Blood¡­ There¡¯s so much blood on your face.¡± ¡°Where did you get the blood on your face?¡± Zhou Yanshen was frightened by that bloody face, let alone Qian Yue. ¡°It dripped from above.¡± ¡°Does it smell like blood?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Yuzhou sniffed his fingertips and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s probably theatrical blood.¡± When he smiled, it was even more terrifying. Lin Jiao handed him a tissue. ¡°Wipe yourself first.¡± She really did not want to face that spooky face. When Pei Zhi, who was observing the stone wall, caught sight of a white figure, he pulled Lin Jiao into his arms. He reminded her gently, ¡°There¡¯s something on the left.¡± Qian Yue did not dare to look in that direction. She walked closer to Zhou Yanshen and held his wrist when she was about to turn the corner, looking for a sense of security. This made Zhou Yanshen excited. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He stood in front of her in a protective posture and stared at her carefully. ¡°Nothing strange so far.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dead end.¡± ¡°Can that stone door be opened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Shen Yi stared at the uneven stone door. He touched the bumps and said with interest, ¡°There are three buttons on it.¡± ¡°I think¡­¡± Chu Yuzhou pressed the button closest to him. Zhou Yanshen turned around. ¡°What do you think?¡± Chapter 137 - 137 Unexpected Encounter with the Dolls 137 Unexpected Encounter with the Dolls What followed was a strange cry. Zhou Yanshen had expected this to happen, so he quickly pulled Qian Yue back to the edge of the wall. They held their breaths and waited for the mystery to unfold. asionally, they would look at each other. ¡°Why isn¡¯t the thing here yet?¡± Qu Shao was impatient. He rubbed his ears and clicked his tongue. ¡°The horror effect here is terrible.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Shen Yi raised his hand and pressed the second button. Just as he was about to wonder what would follow, a cold wind blew past and a few dolls with long hair fell from above. The dolls swayed in the air with a smile on their bloody faces. ¡°Damn¡­ This is too f*cking scary!¡± ¡°Their hair is still dripping with blood.¡± ¡°Their eyeballs are falling out too!¡± The eyeballs dropped to the ground and rolled around. Everyone was overly stimted by the scene. Zhou Yanshen hugged Qian Yue, who was hiding in his arms, and took a few steps to the right, trying to get away from the swaying dolls. He was not in the mood to feel the warmth of her body in his arms. As he walked, he reminded Pei Zhi to be careful not to fall. ¡°Shen Yi, press it again.¡± Pei Zhi wrapped Lin Jiao in his jacket and moved to the stone door. He lowered his head andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll be out soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s open.¡± Shen Yi pushed aside the hair in front of her eyes. He kicked the arm of the doll that was blocking the way. ¡°This door will close automatically. Hurry up.¡± Seeing that the stone door was gradually descending, the group of people bent down and sessfully reached the other end. The creepy sound disappeared. The moment the stone door closed, they had time to catch their breath. ¡°Damn it!¡± Qu Shao stepped on one of the eyeballs that had been brought over and patted his jacket up and down. ¡°My jacket is stained with fake blood.¡± ¡°Mine too.¡± ¡°How annoying. Can you wash it off?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Pei Yn felt something on the back of her neck and grabbed a handful of hair. She was so disgusted that she felt nauseous. ¡°Chu Yuzhou.¡± She turned her back to him, her voice still trembling. ¡°Help me find if there¡¯s any on my back.¡± Chu Yuzhou searched in her hood and found a broken nose. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± He threw it far away. ¡°There are candles over there. We can turn off the shlight.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at the rows of candles not far away, her facial expression gradually returning to normal. She followed them unhurriedly, asionally admiring the murals carved, and the fear in her heart was greatly reduced. Seeing that she had rxed, Pei Zhi retracted his gaze from her face. ¡°Yanshen, is there a vending machine outside the cave?¡± Zhou Yanshen took out the map. ¡°Yes.¡± He pointed at one of the icons. ¡°After we get out, let¡¯s rest.¡± ¡°How much longer do we have to walk?¡± ¡°Soon, I think. Under the guidance of the candles, they passed through two stone doors and stopped in front of three wooden boxes. There was a sign beside the wooden box. The task was very simple. As long as they could take out three keys, they could leave. Chu Yuzhou knocked on the box. He tilted his head to listen to the movement inside. After confirming that there was no strange sound, he was relieved. ¡°Shall we open them one by one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Yi stepped forward to help. When he saw that the first box was filled with mealworms, he immediately walked away. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± He couldn¡¯t stand insects the most. Just looking at them made his scalp tingle. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Mealworm.¡± Pei Zhi approached the wooden box. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you have a bag in your totes?¡± ¡°Is a makeup bag okay?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lin Jiao poured out the cosmetics. She handed him the bag and watched him reach his hand in through the hole. ¡°I think it¡¯s in the upper left corner.¡± She endured the difort and helped him find the key among the insects. Pei Zhi pinpointed hte key urately. He shook off the mealworms that were crawling on the bag and threw the key on the tissue. ¡°Open the next one.¡± A sizzling sound was heard. When the light shone on them, more than twenty ck snakes stuck out their tongues and stared at Chu Yuzhou¡¯s face, scaring him so much that he quickly closed the wooden box. ¡°What is it this time?¡± ¡°Snake.¡± ¡°Let me do it.¡± Zhou Yanshen rolled up his sleeves. He had caught snakes with his grandpa many times in the past and was already immune to them. Qian Yue frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to use the bag?¡± ¡°No need. They¡¯re not poisonous.¡± ¡°Then be careful.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen pushed aside the ck snakes without fear and found the key. He pulled away the snakes that were wrapping around his wrist. His smooth handling of the snakes made Qian Yue admire him even more. He opened the third wooden box and found thest key among the ants. ¡°We can finally go out.¡± When the door opened, Qu Shao felt much more rxed. He handed them a cigarette each and walked out while humming a tune. When the sun poured down, the fresh air was brought to the tip of their noses by the wind and brushed past gently. The sound of birds chirping lingered in their ears, apanied by the rustling of the trees. They sat at the table and enjoyed the moment without being disturbed by the outside world. They chatted andughed at times, making the atmosphere even livelier. Qian Yue tightened the cap of the mineral water bottle and called her besties to the washroom. They stood in front of the mirror to touch up their makeup. She opened the air cushion. ¡°I think your brother is quite manly, especially when he¡¯s finding the keys.¡± ¡°Do you like him?¡± ¡°Very much so.¡± ¡°He¡¯s been protecting you the whole time.¡± Pei Yn washed her hands. ¡°He¡¯s probably into you too.¡± ¡°Not yet,¡± Qian Yue said truthfully. ¡°So far, he is only slightly into me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better than nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but it won¡¯t be easy to keep him interested in me.¡± ¡°Then what do you n to do?¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips and looked at her in the mirror. ¡°y hard to get.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid he¡¯ll give up?¡± ¡°If you y it well, he won¡¯t give up.¡± Qian Yue had always been confident in controlling men. Pei Yn was in no hurry to ask her for tips. She was more concerned about something else. ¡°How far do you n to go with Brother Yanshen?¡± ¡°You want to hear honest words?¡± ¡°Why would I want lies?¡± Qian Yue smiled and said, ¡°Before yesterday, I only wanted to get him and have him.¡± Like encountering a challenging prey, she only wanted to catch him and win his heart. ¡°And now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different now.¡± She turned to look at Lin Jiao. ¡°To be precise, it¡¯s your interaction with Pei Zhi that changed my mind.¡± Lin Jiao seemed to understand the emotions in her eyes. She pulled out a tissue and wiped the water off her fingertips. ¡°You want to have a future with him?¡± Chapter 138 - 138 She’s Not Good Enough for Gu Quan 138 She¡¯s Not Good Enough for Gu Quan ¡°Kind of.¡± Qian Yue abandoned her usual attitude towards love. ¡°I¡¯ve decided to take it seriously this time.¡± ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Then enjoy the moment.¡± After all, life was unpredictable. There was no need to seek trouble when it was time to enjoy. ¡°You have a good outlook on life.¡± Pei Yn followed them out. ¡°Unlike me.¡± ¡°Has Jiang Ye contacted you in the past two days?¡± !! ¡°We talk asionally, but normally just a few words.¡± ¡°I suggest you find a chance to confess to him.¡± Qian Yue pushed aside a few strands of hair by her ear. ¡°Try to find out what he thinks.¡± ¡°What if he rejects me?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about what hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡± Lin Jiao helped her adjust her hat. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll agree immediately.¡± Pei Yn took a deep breath. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She walked to the table, listened to them talk about the following schedule, and forgot all about Jiang Ye. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chu Yuzhou led the group of people to the third checkpoint. When the setting sun faded bit by bit from the horizon, they rode the cable car down the mountain. Good times passed quickly. On Sunday afternoon, they bade farewell to the vi and set off on their way back. ¡°Is there a traffic jam?¡± Lin Jiao, who was sitting in the back, looked up and asked Qu Shao. ¡°It¡¯s an ident.¡± ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not particrly serious.¡± Qu Shao stuck his head out and happened to see a figure. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the man standing in front of the BMW on the left. After confirming that it was him, he quickly closed the window. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He acted like a sneaky thief and inevitably caught Pei Zhi¡¯s attention. ¡°Nothing.¡± Qu Shao turned around and winked at him. ¡°It¡¯s too bloody. Don¡¯t look out.¡± Pei Zhi looked out nheless and saw a familiar face. Afraid that Lin Jiao would be too stimted, he held her waist and lifted her up on his knees. ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s time to change the toiletries at home.¡± ¡°Towel and toothbrush?¡± ¡°Yes, and a few bottles of detergent.¡± This conversation sessfully diverted Lin Jiao¡¯s attention from looking out the window. She leaned against Pei Zhi¡¯s chest. ¡°Uncle, do you want to eat steak tonight? I¡¯ll make it for you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the ring on his finger. When Qu Shao stepped on the elerator, Pei Zhi looked at the man and woman beside him through the window with disgust and disdain. Gu Quan, who seemed to have noticed something, frowned. Seeing that the unfamiliar car was driving towards the highway, he pulled back his thoughts and drove to the other side. ¡°Tian.¡± When they got out of the car, he held Su Tian¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my parents are very nice.¡± ¡°Will they like me?¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Su Tian walked along the corridor of the teahouse to the door of the private room nervously. She gripped the string of the gift box tightly. When she saw the old couple, she smiled sweetly. ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± Gu Quan pulled out a chair and asked her to sit down first. ¡°This is my girlfriend, Su Tian.¡± As the head of the family, Gu Chengyi exuded an aura that made him seem unapproachable. ¡°Good, have a seat.¡± He picked up his teacup and gestured for his wife to talk to them. Zhang Wanlian adjusted the cloak on her shoulder and smiled. ¡°Where does Miss Su work?¡± ¡°I just returned to the country. I haven¡¯t found a job yet.¡± ¡°Which country did you study in before?¡± ¡°Spain.¡± Su Tian held the ss of water with both hands. ¡°I studied business administration there.¡± ¡°Master degree?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She paused for a moment. ¡°If I have time in the future, I¡¯ll consider pursuing a doctor¡¯s degree.¡± Zhang Wanlian nodded in understanding. She pushed the snacks on the table forward and asked Gu Quan, ¡°Have you seen her parents?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you high school ssmates? You¡¯ve known her for so many years, but you¡¯ve never been a guest at her house?¡± ¡°Her upbringing is very strict.¡± Gu Quan handed a cigar to his father. ¡°I¡¯ve only been to her neighborhood.¡± ¡°Is it far from our house?¡± ¡°Far. She¡¯s in Bo Yang district close to the outskirts.¡± Zhang Wanlian couldn¡¯t remember the name of the vi area in Bo Yang district, so she asked, ¡°Is her house located in the residential area developed by Hongyuan real estate?¡± ¡°No, her house is behind the farmers¡¯ market.¡± ¡°Is there a neighborhood over there?¡± Gu Quan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s an old neighborhood.¡± He looked at Gu Chengyi. ¡°Dad, you should have been there before.¡± Zhang Wanlian was now sure of her family background. She ate the pastries slowly and chatted with Su Tian out of courtesy. ¡°Quan.¡± Gu Chengyi stubbed out his cigarette and looked at the time on his phone. ¡°You said over the phone that you have something to tell us. What is it?¡± ¡°Tian and I¡­¡± Gu Quan held her hand and said very solemnly, ¡°are preparing to get married.¡± The word ¡®shocked¡¯ was not enough to describe how Gu Chengyi and his wife felt. ¡°That is not gonna happen!¡± Zhang Wanlian was the first to speak. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Marriage is not something you can decide alone.¡± She made herself clear. ¡°A marriage that doesn¡¯t match can¡¯tst!¡± Su Tian¡¯s face turned pale. She felt like she had been sshed with cold water. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m not good enough for him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about whether you¡¯re good enough or not.¡± Zhang Wanlian gave her some face. ¡°You and Quan are from two different worlds.¡± Seeing her eyes turn red, Gu Quan¡¯s heart ached. ¡°Mom.¡± He held Su Tian¡¯s waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too unreasonable?¡± ¡°You call telling the truth unreasonable?¡± ¡°What era are we in now? Why are you still so old-fashioned? It¡¯s not like she could choose to be born in a rich family.¡± Zhang Wanlian was furious with her son. Gu Chengyi patted her on the back to calm her down and looked much more serious. He said in a low voice, ¡°Different family backgrounds mean different views on everything. The impact is very significant. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Our views are very simr.¡± ¡°That¡¯s only for now.¡± As soon as Gu Quan met his eyes, his thoughts became chaotic. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know what to say. His silence made Su Tian even more afraid. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Uncle, Quan and I are truly in love. In the future¡­¡± ¡°Marriage doesn¡¯t just need love to be maintained. The difference between you two is not only your family background, but also your personal ability and social circle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to keep up with him. As long as he needs me, I¡¯ll share his burden at any time. Please don¡¯t break us up, okay?¡± ¡°Share his burden?¡± Gu Chengyi sighed at her naivety. ¡°If the Gu Corporation is in danger one day, what do you think you can do to share his burden?¡± Chapter 139 - 139 Putting the Marriage On Hold 139 Putting the Marriage On Hold Su Tian had never thought about such a question, let alone give an answer immediately. Before Gu Quan could speak up for Su Tian, he was interrupted by Gu Chengyi. ¡°Su Tian, I¡¯m not saying you are not good.¡± He tapped his fingertips on the table. ¡°The truth is right in front of you. There¡¯s very little you can do.¡± Su Tian did not want to give up just like that. She sniffed. ¡°Are you saying he can only marry girls who can help him in business?¡± !! ¡°No.¡± Gu Chengyi was just making an example. ¡°Quan is still young. He still has a long way to go in the future. We don¡¯t want him to have a family that will drag him down.¡± ¡°Are you that sure I¡¯ll drag him down?¡± ¡°If you look at the problem and gap between you two honestly, you will know that I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°Chengyi, it¡¯s about time.¡± Zhang Wanlian did not want to waste any more time and reminded him that it was time to leave. ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Chengyi put down his teacup. Before he left, he patted Gu Quan on the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t let me hear you mention marriage again.¡± What he said was no different from a warning that made Su Tian¡¯s life with Gu Shen in the future impossible. Su Tian couldn¡¯t help but cry. She looked at the silent Gu Quan with a tear-stained face. ¡°Quan, what should we do?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk to them when I have the chance.¡± ¡°But Uncle doesn¡¯t want you to bring it up again.¡± Gu Quan sighed silently. ¡°We need to wait.¡± He held her cheeks gently. ¡°They just can¡¯t ept it for the time being.¡± ¡°How long do we have to wait?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best to persuade them before the new year.¡± ¡°Before the new year?¡± Su Tian bit her lower lip. ¡°Then can we still get married at Christmas?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put the marriage aside for now.¡± Gu Quan did not dare to go against Gu Chengyi. He kept his eyes level with hers. ¡°Tian, as long as I persuade them, we can get married at any time.¡± Su Tian felt extreme heartache. She hugged Gu Quan¡¯s waist tightly. ¡°Quan, you must not let me down, promise me.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Gu Quan¡¯s feelings for her had never changed. ¡°I¡¯ll solve all the problems. Trust me, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t believe you.¡± She had gone all out in this rtionship and was just afraid of losing it all. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Gu Quan knew what she was afraid of. ¡°I won¡¯t let you suffer.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Su Tian stopped crying. She followed Gu Quan out of the teahouse and gradually calmed down. ¡°Quan, I want to spend more time with Auntie.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you home when I have time.¡± Gu Quan walked down the steps and opened the driver¡¯s door. They both knew that this was not a good time to meet. Su Tian did not ask for much. She put on her seatbelt and looked at the phone in his hand. ¡°Who sent you a message?¡± ¡°Song Zhen.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Gu Quan held the steering wheel with one hand. ¡°He said that He Qi is drinking again and wants us to go over and take a look.¡± He Qi had not been doing well recently. Ever since he was hospitalized, he had been losing his assets in bulk, and he had lost most of the money he had earned before. ¡°Is his father really not going to abandon him?¡± Su Tian asked worriedly. ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Gu Quan drove into the neighborhood. ¡°Just because he doesn¡¯t care about his son at this stage doesn¡¯t mean he won¡¯t care in the future.¡± ¡°Why do I feel that he values his illegitimate children more?¡± ¡°As long as He Qi¡¯s mother is still married to his father, those two illegitimate sons won¡¯t be a threat to him at all.¡± ¡°What if¡­¡± A vibration from his phone interrupted Su Tian. As she listened to Gu Quan talking over the phone, she roughly guessed that he was about to leave. ¡°Are you going to sign the contract?¡± Gu Quan nodded. ¡°Help me calm him down.¡± He leaned forward and kissed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you upter.¡± ¡°Then be careful.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Su Tian got out of the car. She took the elevator to He Qi¡¯s apartment and pressed the doorbell. Song Zhen opened the door. ¡°Where¡¯s Brother Quan?¡± ¡°He has something to do at thepany.¡± Su Tian smelled the strong fragrance of wine on him. ¡°You drank too?¡± ¡°No.¡± Song Zhen led her to the living room and said helplessly, ¡°I got the smell from him.¡± He Qi was sitting on the ground, staring at the television in a daze with unfocused eyes. There was a pile of empty wine bottles at his feet. The liquid that flowed out of the bottles wetted the carpet, mixed with the cigarette butts and footprints that were scattered everywhere. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him this time?¡± Su Tian sat down beside Song Zhen and frowned at him. Song Zhen lowered his voice. ¡°His father brought those two illegitimate sons to a banquetst night.¡± ¡°Then they came over to say something that provoked him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He lit a cigarette. ¡°He¡¯s too impulsive. If it were him, I wouldn¡¯t even give a damn to those two bastards.¡± ¡°He¡¯s always been like that. There is nothing you can do about it.¡± ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve said everything I could. If he wants to dig his own grave, I can¡¯t help.¡± Su Tian leaned over and snatched He Qi¡¯s wine bottle away. When he looked over, she said gently, ¡°He Qi, you can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± ¡°Tian¡­¡± ¡°Have you had lunch?¡± Afraid that he would do something intimate, she closed the distance between her and Song Zhen to remind him that someone else was present. Only then did He Qi realize that Song Zhen was also there. He held back the affection in his eyes and rubbed his hair dejectedly. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll order takeout for you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t trouble yourself.¡± ¡°What kind of trouble is this?¡± Su Tian swiped open the screen and chose a nutritious meal for him. Song Zhen took this opportunity to drag He Qi to the bathroom to wash up. ¡°He Qi, you have to pull yourself together.¡± He advised earnestly, ¡°If this continues, it will only benefit them, understand?¡± ¡°My mind is in a mess. Don¡¯t talk about it with me.¡± He Qi put down his razor and returned to his room to get changed. He did not want Su Tian to see him like that. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll figure it out in a few days.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better be.¡± Song Zhen did not say anything else. He cleaned the ashtray. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see two projects tomorrow. If you think it¡¯s good, invest in it with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have enough money now.¡± ¡°How much do you have left?¡± ¡°Six or seven million.¡± He Qi opened the takeout that had just arrived and sat back down cross-legged on the carpet. ¡°That¡¯s more than enough.¡± Song Zhen helped him do the math. ¡°Invest in one first. When you get back the capital, you can invest more.¡± He Qi was silent for a moment. ¡°I can¡¯t invest everything I have now.¡± He did not dare to take the risk again, nor did he dare to let his savings run out. Chapter 140 - 140 He Will Hide This Secret 140 He Will Hide This Secret ¡°Of course I won¡¯t ask you to invest all your capital.¡± Song Zhen lowered his head to look at his phone and reply to his girlfriend, ¡°At most three to four million.¡± ¡°Invest what?¡± ¡°Real estate on the East of the city.¡± He Qi asked for more details. Seeing that Song Zhen had done a lot of research on this project, he was slightly relieved. ¡°Thene and pick me up tomorrow. My car is broken.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Song Zhen turned off the screen and looked at Su Tian. ¡°Is Brother Quan stilling?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going. You two can talk.¡± He Qi sent him to the door. He turned to look at Su Tian, who was scrolling through her phone, and slowly walked towards her. ¡°Tian, I have a headache.¡± ¡°Does it hurt badly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you the medicine.¡± Su Tian was about to find the first aid kit when he pulled her into his arms. She cried out in panic. When she looked up and red at him, her expression was adorable. ¡°Let go of me!¡± ¡°No.¡± He Qi pressed his forehead against hers and breathed on her cheek. ¡°Did you miss me recently?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°Take the medicine first.¡± Su Tian did not want to discuss anything else with him. ¡°Your health is the most important.¡± She was wearing a lot of clothes, and He Qi could not feel her soft waist through the coat. He turned up the temperature in the room and touched her lips with his index finger. ¡°Kiss me and I¡¯ll be cured right away.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I made it clear to youst time.¡± Su Tian pped his hand away. ¡°This is wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like anyone knows.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all the same.¡± He Qi¡¯s eyes darkened. He retracted his hands and walked towards the bedroom alone, looking like he was angry. ¡°Up to you.¡± His hunched back made people pity him. Su Tian sat in the living room for a long time. She felt ufortable as the room temperature rose and took off her coat. She knocked on his door with a cup of warm water. Seeing that there was no response, she pressed the door handle. ¡°He Qi.¡± She ced the medicine box on the bedside table and looked at him. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t force a rtionship. Even if we can¡¯t be a couple, we can still be friends, right?¡± He Qi stood up and locked the door. He held her hand andy on the bed, his possessiveness growing. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be friends with you.¡± Su Tian, whose wrist was restrained, could not move. She looked into his eyes and said, ¡°He Qi, you should consider my feelings.¡± ¡°You have a crush on me, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°There is no possibility between us.¡± She did not deny it. He Qi suddenly smiled. ¡°Tian.¡± He touched her beautiful lips. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll hide this secret.¡± His intimacy made the situation uncontroble. Realizing that it was toote, Su Tian hurriedly pushed his shoulder, but it was more like she was ying with him. She regretted being intimate with himst time, but at the same time, she felt an extreme joy. ¡°He Qi, you bastard!¡± She looked up and scolded him, her eyes filled with tears and more charming. He Qi lost his mind. A strange excitement overwhelmed him, and he tightened his grip on her hand. ¡°TIan¡­ I love you.¡± He kept repeating it in her ear, every word filled with love. Time passed quietly in an ambiguous atmosphere. When the afterglow of the setting sun lit up the mess in the room and brought some rationality back to them, a series of sad sobs sounded. Su Tian, who was leaning against his chest, cried with red eyes. Her pitiful gaze made He Qi feel guilty. ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± ¡°What do you want me to do in the future?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the responsibility.¡± Su Tian did not need that. ¡°Go!¡± She kicked his knee, but the force was like a tickle. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you ever again.¡± With a beauty in his arms, He Qi could not bear to leave. He coaxed her patiently until she stopped crying before saying, ¡°Baby, no one else will know about this.¡± ¡°Why should I believe you?¡± ¡°Because of my love for you.¡± ¡°Cut it out.¡± Su Tian dodged his kiss and was actually not worried at all. ¡°Give me the clothes.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What do you want now?¡± He Qi held her and moved up. He caressed her waist longingly, his voice still hoarse. ¡°Call me Hubby again.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Be a good girl. Call me for thest time.¡± Su Tian refused to let him have what he wanted. She put on her clothes and returned to the living room. Just as she picked up her phone, she saw a WeChat message. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. A few more minutes before he gets here, I think.¡± He Qi satzily at the other end. He held a cigarette in his mouth and waited for Gu Quan to appear. When the doorbell rang, he put on a dejected look. ¡°Are you alright?¡± The first thing Gu Quan did when he entered was show concern for his friend. He had no idea that he was cheated upon. ¡°I¡¯m not dead yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk about dying.¡± He took off his jacket. ¡°Why did you turn on the heat?¡± He Qi said casually, ¡°It¡¯s too cold.¡± He handed Gu Quan a cigarette. ¡°Have you settled your matters?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan picked up the wine bottle at his feet. He found a topic to talk to He Qi about and tried to get him to talk about his current difficulties. When he found out that they were going to see a project tomorrow, he said tactfully, ¡°Let me know if you need help.¡± He Qi was too embarrassed to ask him for help. ¡°Not for now.¡± He drank half a ss of water and looked up, revealing a few scratches on his neck. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when it¡¯s confirmed.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Quan lit the cigarette and looked at his neck. ¡°Where did you go to have fun this time?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go out.¡± ¡°Then what happened to your neck?¡± Only then did He Qi react. He touched his neck and said, ¡°A girl came to mest night. She scratched me.¡± ¡°You are starting a new rtionship?¡± ¡°Not yet. She treats me as her lover.¡± ¡°Lover?¡± Gu Quan thought of what happened in Bo Yu. ¡°I advise you not to get yourself into trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what you think.¡± He swallowed the words that were stuck in his throat. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a boyfriend.¡± Gu Quan did not understand his kink. ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± He did not ask further. ¡°Clean yourself up. We¡¯ll go out for dinnerter.¡± As soon as he entered the washroom, Su Tian leaned over and grabbed He Qi¡¯s ear. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± ¡°I was just joking.¡± He Qi held her hand and raised his chin to kiss her lips. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Su Tian moved to the side, facing the washroom to avoid being seen. Her attitude did not stop He Qi. He held the back of her head and enjoyed being intimate with her. ¡°Do you on the pill?¡± When he left, he suddenly asked, ¡°If not, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± ¡°I am.¡± Su Tian knew what pill he was referring to. She heard the sound of watering from the washroom and quickly took out an air cushion to reapply lipstick. ¡°Sit further away.¡± Chapter 141 - 141 Two Wechat SOS 141 Two Wechat SOS When Gu Quan came out, he did not find anything unusual. He held Su Tian¡¯s hand and drove them to a nearby Chinese restaurant. ¡°I¡¯ll park the car. You can order first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He Qi followed the waiter into the private room. As soon as he sat down, he put his arm around Su Tian¡¯s waist. ¡°Baby, I feel terrible.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to hold your hand openly too.¡± Su Tian frowned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She flipped through the menu and said in a low voice, ¡°I can¡¯t do what you want.¡± He Qi saw how troubled she was. ¡°I won¡¯t force you.¡± He was already satisfied to have gotten this far. ¡°Are you free tomorrow night?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your news.¡± Su Tian replied softly, ¡°Take a look at it.¡± She handed him the menu and lowered her head to drink her lemon tea. Gu Quan, who had found a parking spot, came in. While waiting for dinner, she said to Su Tian, ¡°Tian, I¡¯m going to Bin City on a business trip on Friday.¡± ¡°When will you be back?¡± ¡°About next Monday.¡± Three days was enough for He Qi to do whatever he wanted. He picked up his phone and searched for a suitable ce to develop his rtionship with Su Tian on the app to prepare for Friday. ¡°He Qi?¡± Gu Quan called out to him again, ¡°Who are you chatting with? Why are you so engrossed?¡± ¡°No one. What did you just say?¡± ¡°The dishes are ready.¡± Only then did He Qi notice the delicious food on the table. He turned off the screen. The difort in his stomach made him suddenly lose his appetite. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°The washroom is on the left.¡± Su Tian looked up and reminded him in a normal tone. Even so, He Qi could feel her concern. ¡°Got it.¡± He opened the door and had just taken two steps when he was bumped into by a man in a baseball cap. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The man was wrapped up tightly, leaving only his eyes exposed. His sneaky look made He Qi, who had experienced inhumane torture in the boxing arena, extremely vignt. ¡°Which private room are you dining in?¡± He Qi raised his guard and looked at him. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just asking.¡± ¡°The secondst. Did I hurt you?¡± ¡°No.¡± He Qi turned around and left. His strange behavior made Jiang Ye even more confused. He subconsciously ssified him as someone mentally ill. He did not pay attention to him anymore and walked straight to the secondst private room before knocking on the door. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± A female voice made Jiang Ye feel that something was wrong. He hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door to see his ¡®client¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± ¡°Are you surprised?¡± Jiang Yingna rested her chin on the back of her hand and looked at him with a smile. Jiang Yingnuo was the daughter of the owner of Kai Yu Entertainment Company. In the first half of this year, she met Jiang Ye at a banquet. She was infatuated with his personality and started pursuing him. Unfortunately, he was unmoved. After being humiliated, she stopped giving him help he desperately needed. She originally thought that he would turn around and beg her, but who knew¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the point of doing this?¡± Jiang Ye took off his baseball cap and looked impatient. ¡°I asked you toe over to talk business.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the brand that I¡¯ll be cooperating with?¡± ¡°They have something on at thest minute. I¡¯ll negotiate it with you.¡± Jiang Yingnuo threw a document in front of him and gestured for him to sit down. ¡°Are you representing the brand?¡± ¡°Read the document first.¡± Jiang Ye suppressed the frustration in his heart. He roughly read the information about the brand. ¡°Are they sure they want me to endorse it?¡± ¡°They¡¯re still screening.¡± Jiang Yingnuo looked at the cup of tea that was specially prepared for him. She pushed the teacup in front of him, her expression unreadable. ¡°You can fight for it.¡± ¡°Fight for it?¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s eyes were filled with sarcasm. ¡°Miss Jiang, I don¡¯t have a habit of using my body to trade for opportunity.¡± The reason why he had been in the industry for so long but still a D-list actor was mostly because he was unwilling to do things under the table. Jiang Yingnuo knew this very well. However, she, who had everything she wanted since she was young, could not allow others to go against her wishes. ¡°Calm down.¡± Her voice was gentle andforting. ¡°I¡¯m saying you can fight for it with your ability.¡± Jiang Ye took off his mask. He picked up his teacup and took two sips, trying to calm himself down. ¡°I¡¯m not taking on this endorsement.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want to.¡± He was about to terminate the contract, so there was no need for him to get involved with Kai Yu at thest minute. Jiang Yingnuo did not insist. She calcted the time and chatted with him before the drug took effect. ¡°When will you finish filming?¡± ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m one of the directors of Kai Yu Entertainment after all. Don¡¯t I have the right to ask?¡± She was using her status to pressure him again. Jiang Ye had had enough. He was furious, but he could not just leave like that. He could only answer truthfully. ¡°How did you find this film crew?¡± ¡°Online.¡± ¡°I thought someone helped you.¡± Jiang Yingna tried to sound him out. How could Jiang Ye not tell? With the cigarette in his mouth, he said sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯m not as capable as you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you talk to me properly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± Jiang Yingna¡¯s patience was challenged. She looked at the time again and tried her best to hold back the urge to re up. She found a topic to talk about. ¡°Have you found your next drama?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Ye suddenly felt an abnormal dizziness. He pretended to be calm and casually looked around the private room. ¡°Where¡¯s the menu?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡± When Jiang Yingna stood up, the screen on her back waspletely revealed. From the bottom of the screen, he saw a few pairs of leather shoes. Jiang Ye knew that he was set up. He pinched his thigh hard. While he could still manage to stay awake, he swiped open the screen of his phone. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± Jiang Yingnuo flipped open the menu. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°How about some dishes and soup?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s attitude was still cold. He opened the film group chat in front of her and waited for her to walk to the opposite side before flipping through the list of people who could help him. ¡°Do you want roast duck?¡± Jiang Yingna looked up, not noticing anything wrong with him. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Tomato brisket?¡± ¡°Another one.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s fingers trembled even more. He swiped past Yang Qifeng¡¯s profile picture and clicked on the chat box below him before sending his current location and typing. ¡°I¡¯m drugged.¡± ¡°Help me.¡± ¡°Stewed pork ribs with potatoes?¡± When Jiang Yingna¡¯s voice sounded again, he was barely conscious. Before Jiang Ye fainted, he used hisst strength to put the phone back into his pocket and zip it up. Seeing him fall to the side, Jiang Yingnuo quickly went forward to hug him to prevent him from identally knocking into something. She shouted at the screen, ¡°Come and help.¡± Four burly men walked out in unison. They carried Jiang Ye to the back door and into the car that had been parked there for a long time. Chapter 142 - 142 Saving Jiang Ye 142 Saving Jiang Ye At the Pei residence. Pei Yn, who had just put on a face mask,y on the bed with a pillow and was about to send a message to Jiang Ye. She thought about it for a long time and was about to start the topic with dinner when she felt her phone vibrate. Two messages popped up. She stared at the words ¡°drugged¡± and ¡°help me¡±. Her mind went nk, and she felt like someone had pressed the pause button. Pei Yn, who bumped into the cab, did not even notice the pain. She grabbed her car key and ran downstairs. ¡°Yn, where are you going?¡± Bai Ying, who was watching a drama, turned to look at her when she heard footsteps. ¡°I have something to do.¡± ¡°Put on your coat first. It¡¯s cold outside.¡± Pei Yn couldn¡¯t care less. She tore off the face mask and called Pei Zhi the moment she got into the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Uncle.¡± She put on her seatbelt and said with a sobbing tone, ¡°Send a few people over to help me.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Something happened to Jiang Ye.¡± After hearing the whole story, Pei Zhi frowned. ¡°Where is he?¡± He quickly walked to the sofa and whispered to Lin Jiao to call Qu Shao. ¡°Changchun Street.¡± Pei Yn turned on the speaker and said as she looked at WeChat, ¡°His location has been changing.¡± She did not dare to imagine what Jiang Ye was going through. Just looking at the location was terrifying. ¡°Qu Shao will be there soon.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s voice seemed to have a magical power that could calm her down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Pei Yn took a deep breath. She turned on the GPS and stepped on the elerator. ¡°He called in. I have to go.¡± Qu Shao drove towards Changchun Street. While talking with Pei Yn, he used another phone to call for help. ¡°Did they stop now?¡± ¡°They stopped moving.¡± Pei Yn waited for a moment to make sure the location didn¡¯t change before telling him, ¡°He¡¯s at the South Elm Hotel.¡± ¡°Sheng Heng has a partnership with South Elm. Wait for me in the hall. I¡¯ll talk to them.¡± ¡°When will you arrive?¡± ¡°In five minutes.¡± Qu Shao hung up and met up with the three men in ck at the entrance of the hotel. He hurried in and spoke briefly to the lobby manager before following him to ask the receptionist, ¡°Which room are they in?¡± ¡°8022.¡± ¡°Give him the room card.¡± The manager urged and turned to look at Qu Shao. ¡°Mr. Qu, do you need our help?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Qu Shao left after getting the room card. He found Pei Yn at the elevator door and looked at her squatting posture in confusion. ¡°Are your feet numb?¡± Pei Yn shook her head. She stood up against the cold wall. When she walked into the elevator with him, her palms were sweating. ¡°Brother Qu, I¡¯m a little afraid.¡± ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I was afraid that he would be raped.¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao was very sure. ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since they arrived here. At most, they will only have stripped him naked and won¡¯t have time to do anything else.¡± His words greatlyforted Pei Yn. She walked to the door of Room 8022 and looked back at the men in ck. ¡°Can they fight?¡± ¡°One against three is no problem.¡± Qu Shao opened the door. The sound made the burly men in the room instantly vignt. They looked in the direction of the door. One of them subconsciously took out an electric baton from his waist. ¡°Who let you in?¡± Qu Shao gestured with his hand. The men in ck behind him rushed to the burly men at lightning speed and grabbed their arms a few secondster. With their mouths and noses covered, they kept struggling, as if they wanted to make amotion to remind the people in the bedroom. However, Pei Yn had already pressed the door handle. When she saw the unconscious Jiang Ye lying on the bed with his belt pulled open by a woman, revealing half of his boxer shorts, an uncontroble anger instantly rose inside her. ¡°Who are you?¡± Jiang Yingna knelt beside him, her hands still on his waist. She did not look guilty at all. Pei Yn, who was walking step by step towards the bed, became even more furious. ¡°Pa¡ª¡± A crisp p echoed in the room. Pei Yihan, who had pped someone for the first time in her life, seemed to have gone mad as she grabbed the woman¡¯s hair and dragged her out of the bed, pping her non-stop. When Jiang Yingnuo came back to her senses, she immediately fought back. She used her nails to scratch the back of Pei Yn¡¯s hand and tried to shake her hand off. Without giving her a chance to hurt Pei Yn, Qu Shao quickly kicked her back, making her unable to move. He raised his chin at the bed. ¡°He¡¯s not in good condition. He needs to be sent to the hospital for gastricvage.¡± Pei Yn asked him to help Jiang Ye put on clothes. She stepped on the back of Jiang Yingna¡¯s hand and crushed it until she screamed, ¡°I¡¯ll settle this score with youter.¡± Jiang Yingna, who was in so much pain that she was sweating profusely,y on the carpet and stared at her hatefully. Her weak voice was filled with threat. ¡°Before you hit me, you should find out who I am!¡± ¡°Why do I care who you are?¡± Pei Yn nced at her arrogantly. Even in her pajamas, her aura was not something a small potato like Jiang Yingnuo couldpare to. However, in her anger, Jiang Yingnuo lost her ability to think and was still arrogant. She pointed at Jiang Ye. ¡°If you dare to take him away, I won¡¯t let you off!¡± Pei Yn did not even bother to look at her. She picked up the baseball cap on the cab and asked Qu Shao, ¡°Does she mean she wants the Pei family to go bankrupt?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Sigh, there are too many people who overestimate themselves.¡± Qu Shao sighed too. ¡°With Boss¡¯s temper, he¡¯ll probably throw her into the sea to feed the sharks.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt. She¡¯ll just die in the blink of an eye.¡± As the conversation went further and further away, the burly men quickly got up from the ground. They carefully walked to the bedroom door and looked at the stunned Jiang Yingna. After hesitating for a long time, one of them asked, ¡°Miss Jiang, do you want us to chase them?¡± ¡°Go chase yourself!¡± Jiang Yingnuo came back to her senses and threw a pillow at them. ¡°Get lost!¡± After venting her anger, she was overwhelmed by an uneasiness as she recalled the oversation she just heard. She immediately called her father, asking, ¡°Dad, how many Pei families are there in Lin City?¡± ¡°Only the one in the east of the city.¡± ¡°Do they have a daughter?¡± ¡°No.¡± Hearing her ask about the Pei family, Mr. Jiang¡¯s tone became serious. ¡°Did you offend the Pei family?¡± His words made Jiang Yingnuo heave a sigh of relief. ¡°How is that possible?¡± She looked like she had just been pulled out of the abyss. Her hair was covered in sweat. ¡°I¡¯m not stupid.¡± ¡°Then why are you asking this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± Mr. Jiang said earnestly, ¡°Yingna, a person like Pei Zhi is not someone our family can afford to offend. Don¡¯t have any designs on him.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Jiang Yingnuo knew her limits. She called back the burly men who had yet to leave. ¡°Go to the filming site and keep watch. As soon as they appear, inform me immediately!¡± Chapter 143 - 143 She Wanted to Touch His Abdomen 143 She Wanted to Touch His Abdomen ¡°Uncle, how long before you arrive?¡± Lin Jiao, who was rushing to the hospital, looked at the time. Pei Zhi turned on the turn signal. ¡°Right away.¡± He drove along the not-so-wide street to Tongji Hospital and stopped under the inpatient department. The hospital was wrapped in darkness, giving off a sense of destion. In the empty corridor, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed. !! ¡°Yn.¡± Lin Jiao nced at the bed and asked in a low voice, ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°He had just done the gastricvage.¡± ¡°Is it serious?¡± ¡°Nothing serious at the moment.¡± Pei Yn wrapped the nket around her tighter. She looked at Jiang Ye, who was in a deep sleep, and the scene that happened in the hotel appeared before her eyes again. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± She held the paper cup with both hands. ¡°You have no idea how disgusting that woman is!¡± ¡°She forcefully did it with Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°She almost made it.¡± Hearing her describe the situation of Jiang Ye being stripped of his pants, a trace of disgust shed across Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes. She held Pei Yn¡¯s hand and stroked the scratches. ¡°How did you get these?¡± ¡°She scratched me.¡± ¡°Did you fight with her?¡± ¡°To be precise, I hit her.¡± Pei Yn raised her head slightly and drank half a ss of water. ¡°Her face is swollen from being pped by me.¡± Lin Jiao could imagine how angry Pei Yn was at that time. She turned to look at Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, ask the nurse for a bottle of disinfectant.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi stood up and walked out. When he returned with the disinfectant, he bumped into Qu Shao, who had just finished a call. ¡°Have you found out?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He was always professional when it came to tracking people down. Qu Shao walked up to them and exined the rtionship between Jiang Yingnuo and Jiang Ye. At the mention of the contract, Pei Yn clenched her fists again. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen such a shameless person!¡± Lin Jiao was also very angry. ¡°She ruined someone¡¯s future because of her own selfish desires. How can she say that she likes him?¡± ¡°She¡¯s only fit to be a tramp in bed¡­¡± Pei Yn received Pei Zhi¡¯s warning gaze and did not dare to say another cursing word. She changed the topic. ¡°How many people has she done that to?¡± ¡°Seven or eight.¡± ¡°Those people didn¡¯t expose her?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all voluntary exchange.¡± Qu Shao said, ¡°Jiang Yingna will provide the resources, and they will sleep with her in exchange.¡± ¡°How old is she?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask that.¡± He paused for a moment. ¡°It looks like he¡¯s about the same as you.¡± Lin Jiao did not expect her to be so young. She did not ask further and was more concerned about Pei Yn¡¯s thoughts. ¡°What do you n to do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when he wakes up.¡± Pei Yn sighed. ¡°With our current rtionship, I can¡¯t make a decision for him yet.¡± ¡°Then what about your injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just take it that I was unlucky.¡± After giving Lin Jiao a look, she pretended to be pitiful. ¡°Anyway, no one will stand up for me.¡± Lin Jiao instantly understood what she was up to. She lowered her head and rubbed the edge of the paper cup. ¡°If it were me, no one would stand up for me either.¡± ¡°What about your boyfriend?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t even care about his niece. Why would he care about me?¡± Pei Zhi chuckled helplessly. He held Lin Jiao¡¯s waist tightly and raised her chin slightly. ¡°Who says I don¡¯t care?¡± He kissed her lips as if there was no one around. ¡°You two can do whatever you want.¡± ¡°You said it.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lin Jiao pushed his shoulder away. She discussed with Pei Yn for a long time about the n of retaliation before leaving. ¡°Uncle.¡± When she got home, she leaned against Pei Zhi on the sofa. ¡°You have to be more careful when you eat with others in the future.¡± Pei Zhi knew what she was worried about. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He stroked her long hair. ¡°I won¡¯t let that happen.¡± ¡°What if?¡± ¡°Qu Shao will be by my side at every social gathering. Once there is something fishy going on, I can leave at any time.¡± Therefore, there was no ¡®what if¡¯. He would not allow what if to happen either. Lin Jiao looked up. ¡°Anyway, you have to promise not to drink anyone¡¯s wine, smoke anyone¡¯s cigarettes, or meet anyone alone.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± Pei Zhi agreed seriously. Just as he was about to change the topic, he heard her voice again. ¡°But if you¡¯re forced to do that kind of thing, I won¡¯t me you.¡± For a moment, Pei Zhi really felt that she liked and cared about him. He moved his palm up inch by inch and held the back of her head through her soft hair. ¡°There are no ifs. I only belong to you.¡± Burning breath spread out over Lin Jiao¡¯s face, and her lips were sealed by him. She caressed the skin on his neck and ced her fingertips on his chest to listen to his heartbeat. When the vibe was just right, she suddenly thought of something and lowered her eyes. ¡°I want¡ª¡± Pei Zhi was rmed. ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± He stood up to leave while his rationality was still in control. ¡°I¡¯m not done yet.¡± ¡°Then continue.¡± Lin Jiao leaned close to his handsome face like a seductive nymph. ¡°I want to touch your abs. Can I?¡± ¡°Why did you suddenly bring this up?¡± ¡°I heard from others that abs are very nice to touch.¡± Pei Zhi guessed from whom she heard that. ¡°I¡¯ll let you touch it another day.¡± He pulled the nket over his abs. ¡°Which day?¡± ¡°On the day I think is right.¡± ¡°Give you another chance to reorganize your answer.¡± Lin Jiao looked like she would not stop until she got an exact time. Pei Zhi knew that he could not get away without giving her the answer she wanted. ¡°After your next checkup.¡± He pushed aside the hair on the back of her head to look at the wound. ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°Then you have to let me touch you a few more times.¡± ¡°How many times exactly?¡± ¡°Ten times.¡± Lin Jiao hugged his neck, thinking that he would like this kind of interaction. ¡°If you think ten times is not enough, I can add a few more.¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough.¡± Pei Zhi did not want to y with fire. In order to prevent her froming up with new tricks to torture him, he raised his chin at the pile of birthday gifts and asked her to open them. Lin Jiao opened the box of Barat first. She took out the pair of crystal sses from the box and looked at them through the light. She did not forget to ask him, ¡°Guess who sent these?¡± ¡°Qu Shao,¡± Pei Zhi said with a nce. Lin Jiao carefully ced the cup on the coffee table and opened the second Burberry box. Two scarves came into view. Just by looking at the style, she knew that they were from Qian Yue. ¡°Uncle, do you have the same scarf?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll wear it when it turns cold.¡± Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± After replying to Qu Shao¡¯s WeChat message, he continued to watch her unwrap the gifts. After matching the gifts with people, Lin Jiao walked to a sealed cardboard box. She used a pair of scissors to cut open the tape and looked at the small boxes inside. She raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°Chu Yuzhou gives the most gifts.¡± Chapter 144 - 144 Yilan’s Confession 144 Yn¡¯s Confession ¡°What are there?¡± Pei Zhi took out a cigarette from the cigarette box and slowly lit it. ¡°Let me see.¡± Lin Jiao picked one up. She opened the stic bag and took out the ck leather whip. ¡°A whip.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A whip with rivets on it.¡± !! Pei Zhi caught the whip she threw at him. He stared at the rivets on the whip and choked on the smoke he had just inhaled. A light cough sounded, and the smoke in front of him covered the emotions in his eyes. ¡°You choked?¡± Lin Jiao handed him a ss of water. When that pair of clear and innocent eyes looked over, Pei Zhi really could not bring himself to tell her what the whip was meant for. He took two sips of water. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Just as he was about to ask her toe over, he saw her open another box. ¡°There are actually hair clips.¡± Lin Jiao yed with the two hairpins that were connected by a golden chain. She fiddled with the bell under the bow and listened to it ring. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy. I can only wear it at home.¡± Seeing that she was putting a hair clip on her head, Pei Zhi took a deep breath and suppressed the frustration in his heart. He patted hisp. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished unwrapping it yet.¡± ¡°Do itter.¡± Lin Jiao retracted her hand from the box. She threw herself into his arms. The bell hanging by her ear rang softly. ¡°Are you not happy?¡± ¡°No.¡± He just wanted to beat Chu Yuzhou up. Pei Zhi stubbed out his cigarette and ced his hand on the clip. ¡°I¡¯ll help you take it off.¡± ¡°Then be gentle.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Afraid of pulling her hair, he could only slow down and take it off bit by bit. Lin Jiaoy on his chest and picked up the whip beside her. ¡°We don¡¯t have a horse. Why would we need a whip?¡± ¡°He¡¯s being stupid.¡± Pei Zhi threw the hair clips back into the cardboard box and forbade her from fiddling with it. He patted her waist. ¡°It¡¯s time to take a shower.¡± ¡°Then go back to your room and wait for me.¡± ¡°Do you want to watch a drama?¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Thirtieth episodes.¡± She raised her chin to give him a kiss. ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Pei Zhi watched her walk into the bathroom. He took out the things in the cardboard box and looked at them in turn, lingering between throwing them away and not throwing them away. If he threw it away, he would inevitably feel regretful. If he didn¡¯t¡­ After thinking for a long time, Pei Zhi moved them to the study and locked them in the safe. When the time came, it woulde in handy. # The hazy night was like a white veil that scattered on the ss window in the ward, making it look dreamlike. Jiang Ye, who had fallen into a nightmare, was sweating profusely. He tried his best to escape from the trap set by Jiang Yingna, but his limbs were tied up. He fell to the ground weakly, letting that disgusting face get closer to him. Just as he was about to give up, he heard a soft voice that dispelled the darkness bit by bit. ¡°Jiang Ye?¡± Pei Yn, whose wrist was held, met his vignt eyes. She held a towel in her other hand and gently wiped the sweat off his forehead. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± The moment Jiang Ye saw her face clearly, the shackles on his body seemed to have disappeared. He looked around and his gazended on her hand. ¡°I had a nightmare.¡± His voice was hoarse. Pei Yn turned around and poured him a ss of water. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She turned up the brightness of the nightmp and tried to dispel his uneasiness. ¡°You are safe now.¡± Jiang Ye said weakly, ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Three-thirty.¡± ¡°Have you been up all night?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn was afraid that he would be worried, so she did not mention anything about her falling off her chair while nodding off. She stuffed his hand under the nket. ¡°Rest for a while. You still have a checkup at ten.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the sofa.¡± Jiang Ye looked up and to the right. Seeing that there was only a nket on the sofa, he sighed to himself. He moved to the side. ¡°Come up.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Come up and sleep with me.¡± Pei Yn suspected that she had heard wrongly. She asked again to make sure that he meant what she thought he meant. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too crowded?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He measured the width of the bed with his naked eye and said with certainty, ¡°This bed can fit both of us.¡± Pei Yn climbed into bed. She ced her hands on her abdomen and stared at the ceiling without moving, her body stiffening. Jiang Ye, who could barely hear her breathing, was afraid that she would faint from holding her breath. ¡°You can rx a little.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t rx.¡± ¡°Then try turning off the lights.¡± Pei Yn reached out to turn off the night light. She bit her lower lip and changed the topic. ¡°Jiang Ye, how many times have you been in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Once.¡± ¡°When did this happen?¡± ÁôÖÃÕ롱Second year of my university.¡± Jiang Ye looked at the ceiling with her. ¡°We broke up after dating for more than four months.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It was Valentine¡¯s Day at that time. She thought the gift I sent her was too cheap and that I embarrassed her.¡± Pei Yn took a guess, ¡°Lipstick?¡± ¡°A pair of earrings.¡± He still had a rough impression of them. ¡°From Swarovski.¡± ¡°Swarovski used to be very popr.¡± Pei Yn did not find it cheap. ¡°I¡¯ve worn it before too.¡± ¡°Her friends are all using big brands like Gi and Dior. Swarovski is nothing.¡± Jiang Ye paused for a moment before continuing, ¡°Most importantly, I didn¡¯t have much money at that time and couldn¡¯t give her much.¡± ¡°Do you still like her, then?¡± ¡°No.¡± He turned to look at her and asked about her love life. ¡°How many times have you been in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Twice. Both in less than two months.¡± ¡°Was it just for fun?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± Pei Yn recalled, ¡°They can¡¯t give me the feeling I want. After a while, I lost interest.¡± ¡°How kind of feeling are you looking for?¡± ¡°Something that feels like a crush andpels me to marry him.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Like I want to cling to him whenever I can.¡± She did not look at him, but she was talking to him. ¡°and hug him to sleep and kiss him.¡± Jiang Ye understood. When he recalled the scene of her ¡®unintentionally¡¯ hugging and kissing him, a smile shed across his eyes. He turned around to face her. ¡°What kind of hugging?¡± ¡°The face-to-face kind.¡± ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t you turn around?¡± Pei Yn¡¯s heart raced. She slowly turned around and moved towards him like a snail. When he put his hand under her neck and wrapped it around her shoulder, she blushed visibly. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± She pressed against his chest. The moment she got closer, her voice trembled. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He wasn¡¯t an idiot. Jiang Ye held her waist. When he realized that her back was stiff again, he smiled and said, ¡°Why weren¡¯t you so nervous when you hugged me before?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Pei Yn tugged at the corner of his shirt and took a deep breath as he patted her back. She looked up. ¡°Jiang Ye, you¡­¡± Chapter 145 - 145 So Are You Mine Now? 145 So Are You Mine Now? Perhaps because the atmosphere was just right or his embrace gave her courage. She met his gaze and asked, ¡°Do you have feelings for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye did not hesitate. He held her hand and ced it over his heart. ¡°This ce isn¡¯t made of stone.¡± Pei Yn felt his heartbeat and her mind seemed to have exploded with joy. !! She looked into those eyes that had her in them and stammered in excitement, ¡°From when?¡± ¡°From the time you kissed me in the filming site.¡± Even after so long, he still remembered how quick his heart was beating. Jiang Ye held her hand tightly. Speaking of which, he only realized how he felt about her the day they went to the hot spring together. He pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°At that time, many men looked at you. I was especially unhappy.¡± ¡°Is that why you were so harsh to me?¡± ¡°In what way was I harsh to you?¡± Pei Yn muttered, ¡°When you asked me to wrap myself up in a towel, I thought you hated me.¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Since he had already told her about his feelings, Jiang Ye did not think there was a need to hide anything at this point. He said slowly, ¡°I was just too anxious.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready.¡± Pei Yn looked at him in confusion. She was still immersed in happiness. She asked him directly, ¡°Is there anything holding you back from telling me?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± ¡°Such as?¡± ¡°Our family backgrounds and financial situations are very different. I¡¯m not sure I can make your life better.¡± Jiang Ye exined the reality that they had to face. He said seriously, ¡°Even if I climb to the top in my field, I won¡¯t be able to reach the level of the Pei family. Do you understand?¡± How could Pei Yn not understand? She said firmly, ¡°Jiang Ye, I don¡¯t want to live a particrly luxurious life. We can work hard together on material things.¡± He tightened his grip on her waist. ¡°What about your family? Do they have any requirements for your boyfriend?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn hugged him back. ¡°My father was especially poor when he was young. Before he got married, he was financially supported by my mother.¡± ¡°I heard from others that the Pei family has been very rich for three generations. Why would this happen?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because Grandpa wants them to earn money with their own hands, not rely on him.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Jiang Ye had a basic understanding of the Pei family from what she said. He pushed aside the strands of long hair that were tickling his corbone and tucked them behind her shoulder. ¡°Did you tell them about me?¡± ¡°I mentioned you.¡± ¡°What did they say?¡± ¡°They said I¡¯m useless.¡± Pei Yn told him what Pei Zhen said before. ¡°He won my grandmother¡¯s heart in just two months.¡± Jiang Ye chuckled. He lowered his head to kiss her forehead, the uneasiness in his heartpletely gone. ¡°You¡¯re not bad either.¡± The warm touch was like a feather brushing past Pei Yn. She felt an itch all over her body. ¡°So, are you mine now?¡± ¡°What? Do you wanna start your pursuit all over again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to!¡± Jiang Ye stopped teasing her. He moved down a bit to look her right in the eyes and asked softly, ¡°Yn, can you be my girlfriend?¡± His sincere gaze made Pei Yn want to cry. She nodded and hugged his neck, her red eyes sparkling. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°I am happy.¡± Jiang Ye did not expect her to be such a crier. He coaxed her for a long time before she stopped crying. He held a tissue to the tip of her nose and asked her to blow her nose, ¡°Do you want some water?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn picked up her phone. ¡°I¡¯ll tell them the good news.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all asleep at this hour.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll be notified the first thing upon waking up.¡± Jiang Ye did not stop her. He pressed against the top of her head and could see her joy with every word she typed. ¡°Yn.¡± He suddenly thought of something. ¡°Did you add Yang Qifeng on WeChat?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Then block him first.¡± Pei Yn did as she was told. When she was typing on her Moments, she asked, ¡°You don¡¯t want him to know that we¡¯re in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°It was him who arranged for me to meet Jiang Yingnuo.¡± ¡°Why did he do that?¡± ¡°He¡¯s afraid of losing his job.¡± ¡°That¡¯s disgusting!¡± Pei Yn turned off the screen. ¡°I always thought he was very good to you. I didn¡¯t expect him to be such a nasty person.¡± ¡°How can you tell he¡¯s good.?¡± ¡°Thest time you were hospitalized, he was especially anxious. It was as if the sky had copsed.¡± Jiang Ye sneered. ¡°He¡¯s suitable to be an actor.¡± Then, he asked, ¡°How did you take me out of the hotel?¡± Pei Yn told him what happened. When he heard her p Jiang Yingna, Jiang Ye frowned. ¡°Are you injured?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± He pulled out her right hand. When he saw the scratches on the back of her hand, he felt extremely sad. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t feel a thing.¡± Pei Yn was still all smiles. In order to prevent him from feeling guilty, she changed the topic naturally. ¡°When you get discharged¡­¡± Before she could finish, he kissed her gently. Jiang Ye closed his eyes, as if he wanted to put all his feelings into this long kiss. As the kissing became more passionate, Pei Yn felt a chill run down her spine. She seemed to have stepped into the clouds and kept falling. She fell until she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Jiang Ye pulled away in time. He patted her back to help her breathe. ¡°Don¡¯t you know you need to breathe to live?¡± ¡°I forgot.¡± Pei Yn lowered her head. She leaned into his arms, wanting to stick to him as much as she could. ¡°Let¡¯s do it again when we wake up.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll forget it if we start over.¡± ¡°I swear I will not.¡± Jiang Ye did not believe her at all. The first thing he did when he woke up was to confirm if Pei Yn had forgotten about it. In the end¡­ ¡°It doesn¡¯t count this time!¡± Pei Yn repeated the kissing with him again and again with a red face. Jiang Ye knew she did it on purpose. To punish her, he gently bit her lower lip. ¡°Are you still pretending?¡± He rubbed the top of her head, but there was no sign of anger on his face. Pei Yn did not panic at all after being exposed. ¡°You bite me.¡± She touched her lower lip. ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°How much does it hurt?¡± ¡°Very much.¡± Jiang Ye pursed his lips. Before he could speak, he heard a knock on the door. ¡°Pleasee in.¡± Shen Yi happened to see him tidying Pei Yn¡¯s cor. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chapter 146 - 146 Not Just Because of Her 146 Not Just Because of Her Pei Yn introduced them to each other, her eyes filled with joy. Hearing her emphasize the word ¡®boyfriend¡¯, Shen Yi said teasingly, ¡°Congrattions. I hope you two have a child soon.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still too early to talk about children.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a bad thing to n ahead.¡± He walked up to Jiang Ye and listened to his heartbeat. Pei Yn did not continue. !! She stared at the stethoscope on Jiang Ye¡¯s chest and asked when Shen Yi moved it away, ¡°Is his heart rate normal?¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡± Shen Yi flipped open the medical record. ¡°Go downstairs and do a routine checkup.¡± ¡°How long will it take to get discharged?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± He reminded him, ¡°You can eat after eight. Make sure the food is light for the time being.¡± Jiang Ye noted it down. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Shen Yi valued seniority as much as Zhou Yanshen. ¡°I¡¯m your uncle after all.¡± ¡°Uncle?¡± ¡°Yes, your uncle has to get back to work now.¡± Seeing him leave, Jiang Ye asked Pei Yn, ¡°How many uncles do you have?¡± ¡°I have only one uncle called Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Then him?¡± ¡°He wants you to take advantage of him.¡± Pei Yn lifted the nket and got out of bed with him. ¡°Ignore him.¡± Jiang Ye walked into the bathroom and looked at her through the ss in front of the sink. ¡°Did you leave your house without a coatst night?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have time to grab one.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go out and buy one for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Pei Yn squeezed toothpaste on the toothbrush and handed it to him. ¡°Jiaojiao will bring it to me.¡± Jiang Ye retracted his foot that was outside the door. After washing up, he gave Pei Yn his coat and went downstairs to do a checkup. The routine check-up was not time-consuming. He pressed the cotton swab in his elbow and looked up at the clock on the wall while waiting for the bleeding to stop. ¡°Yn.¡± He threw away the cotton swab and was about to order takeout for her. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out to eat.¡± Pei Yn was afraid that he would get more hungry watching her eat and did not n to eat in front of him. She sent Jiang Ye back to the ward and stood on her tiptoes to kiss the side of his face. ¡°Watch TV for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Jiang Ye nodded and watched her leave. As soon as hey on the bed, a handsome man came in with a gift box. ¡°Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your Uncle Chu!¡± Chu Yuzhou happened to be nearby and came over to visit him. He had not heard Pei Yn call him uncle for so many years and only wanted to get back the feeling of being an elder from Jiang Ye. After hearing him introduce himself, Jiang Ye asked out of curiosity, ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Twenty-six.¡± ¡°Same age as me.¡± Chu Yuzhou did not care about age. ¡°Niece-inw.¡± His eyes were filled with love from an elder. ¡°Do you want an apple? I¡¯ll peel it for you.¡± Jiang Ye felt his scalp tingle from the way Chu Yuzhou looked at him. He lowered his eyes and looked at the arm he was holding. He felt a little ufortable. ¡°I can¡¯t eat yet.¡± ¡°Then do you want some water? I¡¯ll pour it for you.¡± ¡°I just had some.¡± Chu Yuzhou still poured him a cup. He ced his elbow on the guardrail and sized him up. ¡°Niece-inw, are there many people chasing you?¡± ¡°Not many.¡± ¡°Then do you know anyone especially beautiful around you?¡± Jiang Ye thought he wanted to find out more about him. He said sincerely, ¡°I won¡¯t get involved with other women. You can rest assured.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Chu Yuzhou said, ¡°I¡¯m still single, you know what I mean?¡± ¡°Got it.¡± He patted Jiang Ye¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Uncle likes someone more sexy, like Jolie.¡± ¡°Angelina Jolie?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Jiang Ye really did not know anyone like that. He recalled what his former ssmates looked like. They probably already had families. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you if I see a girl like that.¡± Chu Yuzhou nodded in satisfaction. Like a bee, he nagged Jiang Ye for a long time, ¡°Niece-inw, tell me if you encounter anything dangerous next time!¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing that he was about to leave, Jiang Ye got out of bed and sent him to the door. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal on Saturday.¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Chu Yuzhou gave him a flirtatious look, which sessfully gave Jiang Ye goosebumps. Hearing him leave while humming a song, Jiang Ye rubbed his buzzing ears. He had finally experienced what a chatterbox Chu Yuzhou was. He turned around and looked at the gift box on the bedside table. He shook his head and chuckled. At noon, the golden sun shone in from the window, adding a trace of warmth to the cold ward. A series of footsteps broke the silence. Pei Yn walked to his side with Lin Jiao. She put down the shopping bag in her right hand and stared at the hanging IV drip bottle. ¡°Did the nurse just hang this for you?¡± Jiang Ye replied, ¡°She said there¡¯s another bottle.¡± ¡°Has Qian Yue been here?¡± Lin Jiao dragged the chair over. ¡°No.¡± Jiang Ye had seen their photo and vaguely remembered Qian Yue¡¯s face. ¡°But Chu Yuzhou came.¡± ¡°Did hee to take advantage of you?¡± ¡°Sort of?¡± He sat up straight and wanted tough when he thought of what Chu Yuzhou had said. ¡°He¡¯s very enthusiastic.¡± Pei Yn could imagine how shameless Chu Yuzhou was. On the ount that she was in a good mood, she did not scold him and changed the topic. ¡°When you get discharged, we¡¯ll go and terminate the contract, okay?¡± ¡°Not now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I can only get paid after the shooting of this drama is wrapped up.¡± Jiang Ye did not avoid the problem of money. ¡°It won¡¯t be until next Monday at the earliest.¡± ¡°At that time, I don¡¯t have to pay so much liquidated damages.¡± His honesty greatly improved Lin Jiao¡¯s impression of him. She ryed Zhou Yanshen¡¯s words. ¡°Brother Yanshen said that he will arrange for awyer to meet you tomorrow.¡± Jiang Ye was stunned. Although finding awyer for him was nothing, he really did not know how to thank them. Seeing that he was still silent, Lin Jiao roughly guessed what he was thinking, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s normal for friends to help each other. Don¡¯t overthink it. We hope you can take us as friends too.¡± Pei Yn held his hand the next second. She looked into his eyes with a smile. ¡°Jiang Ye, they didn¡¯t help you just because of me. You should be able to feel it.¡± Jiang Ye let out a breath and nodded at Pei Yn. ¡°Are you treating us to a meal on Saturday?¡± Lin Jiao opened WeChat and changed the topic. ¡°Did Chu Yuzhou tell you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She looked up. ¡°Brother Yanshen asked if you can change it to Friday. He has a date on Saturday.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Jiang Ye sent Pei Yn the location. ¡°Yn, forward it to them.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just create a group chat.¡± Pei Yn found it too troublesome to send a message to everyone. When she created the group, she did not forget to invite Qu Shao in too. ¡°Brother Qu carried you outst night.¡± Chapter 147 - 147 I Have to Give Him Sweetness 147 I Have to Give Him Sweetness ¡°Which one is him?¡± ¡°The one with the name ¡®Wild Cricket¡¯.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s lips twitched. He thanked everyone in the group chat before sending them the location of the restaurant. Landlord: ¡°Mr. Jiang will pay for all the expenses on Friday. Let¡¯s get drunk!¡± !! PL: ¡°@Ye, what time?¡± Wild Cricket: ¡°What¡¯s happening? Is something good about to happen? @Ye, @Lan.¡± Landlord: ¡°Do you have 3G Inte?¡± Wild Cricket: ¡°5G. / Picture /.¡± Ye: ¡°We¡¯re already together.¡± Sleepless Lin City: ¡°Tsk. Kicking over dog food.jpg.¡± Ye: ¡°@PL, 6:30 pm.¡± As Jiang Ye replied, he asked Pei Yn who each person on the group chat was. ¡°What are you guys chatting about?¡± Qian Yue yawned and walked to their side. ¡°My phone keeps vibrating.¡± ¡°About Friday.¡± ¡°How¡¯s Jiang Ye doing?¡± ¡°Much better.¡± Jiang Ye looked up, his brown eyes shing with a friendly smile. He was born handsome and gave off a gentlemanly feeling. Qian Yue looked at him and Pei Yn repeatedly. The more she looked at them, the morepatible they looked. She leaned back in her chair and said, ¡°You and Jiaojiao are no longer single. I¡¯m the only one left.¡± ¡°How long do you n to reel in the fish?¡± ¡°Before the new year.¡± ¡°Soon.¡± Lin Jiao leaned against the railing. ¡°Before you two are officially together, can you ept him kissing you?¡± ¡°It depends on where.¡± ¡°On the face?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Qian Yue yed with her fountain pen. ¡°It¡¯s alright to give him a reward now and then to keep him hooked.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he can wait until the new year.¡± Pei Yn picked up the fruit knife. ¡°Get ready.¡± ¡°Get ready to be kissed by him?¡± ¡°No.¡± She lowered her head and slowly peeled an apple. ¡°Get ready for his sudden confession.¡± ¡°Let him be.¡± In order to get a long-term rtionship, Qian Yue could only endure it. ¡°I won¡¯t ept it anyway.¡± Pei Yn cut the apple into three pieces. She handed the apple to them one after another and looked at Jiang Ye happily as he wiped her hands. ¡°What if he keeps pestering you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll disappear.¡± ¡°How ruthless.¡± ¡°How can I change him if I¡¯m not ruthless?¡± Qian Yue said indifferently. ¡°I don¡¯t want this rtionship to die too early.¡± ¡°He really needs to change.¡± Lin Jiao did not want him to continue hanging out with different women, so she agreed. She swallowed the fruit in her mouth. ¡°His suitor called me at noon today.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°She wanted me to create an opportunity for them.¡± When Qian Yue found out that the other party was an actress from Star River, she asked casually, ¡°Is she beautiful?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± ¡°Jiang Ye, do you know her?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen her a few times,¡± Jiang Ye said truthfully. ¡°She looks alright and has a different style from you.¡± ¡°What kind of style?¡± ¡°On the cute side.¡± ¡°Then he¡¯s definitely not interested.¡± Pei Yn had seen so many of his ex-girlfriends and knew his type well. Qian Yue did not take it to heart. She threw away the tissue in her hand and straightened her back to stretch her shoulders. ¡°Have you dealt with that person?¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± Pei Yn swallowed the word ¡®b*tch¡¯ in her throat and coughed lightly.¡± Not yet. ¡± ¡°Who¡¯s doing it then?¡± ¡°Brother Qu.¡± ¡°I have to go.¡± Lin Jiao still had work in the afternoon and could not stay outside for too long. ¡°Be careful on the way.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Not long after she left, Qian Yue also returned to the office. Pei Yn, who was in the ward, walked around to the other side and crawled into the nket. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Jiang Ye took two sips of water. He held her waist and stared into her almond-shaped eyes. ¡°Who is the person you are talking about?¡± ¡°Brother Yanshen.¡± ¡°No, the one you want to deal with.¡± Pei Yn said in a low voice, ¡°Jiang Yingna.¡± She did not avoid his gaze. ¡°Uncle said she must be punished.¡± ¡°Are you in charge ofing up with ideas?¡± ¡°Pretty much.¡± Jiang Ye adjusted the pillow andy down with her. Jiang Yingna, who had no idea about this, was still lying in a hotel with a new actor. Perhaps everything that happenedst night made her feel too frustrated, so she could only find some relief from this new one. She wanted to suppress all the unpleasant memories, including herplicated feelings towards Jiang Ye. Buzz¡ªBuzz¡ª In the evening, a series of vibrations broke the silence. The call was from her assistant. Her voice was trembling with anxiety. ¡°President Jiang, you¡¯re on the trend.¡± ¡°What trend?¡± ¡°About you using your power to bully female celebrities.¡± Jiang Yingnuo quickly opened Weibo. She yed the most trendy video. When she saw the female celebrity kneeling down to wipe her shoes, kowtow to her and p her, her mind went nk. ¡°Who did it?!¡± She said with a ferocious expression, ¡°Does the public rtions department eat sh*t? Are they not going to do anything about it?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t remove this trend.¡± The assistant said with trepidation, ¡°At the moment, this only solution is to create other trends to divert the public¡¯s attention, but even that didn¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Then contact thepany and ask them to delete it!¡± ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t get in touch with them.¡± Jiang Yingnuo took a deep breath. She tightened her grip on the nket, wishing she could tear it apart. ¡°Keep calling them. Money is not a problem.¡± ¡°One more thing.¡± ¡°Speak!¡± ¡°They threatened that they will release other content at nine tonight.¡± The assistant was so nervous that her toes curled up. ¡°Do you know the content they are referring to?¡± ¡°How would I know?¡± Jiang Yingnuo scolded over the phone. She kicked the nket away and was about to put on her clothes when the man lying beside her carried her up from behind. He said sweet nothing to her in his usual way, making it difficult for her to shake him off. ¡°Baby, don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°Let go of me first.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Jiang Yingnuo looked into his eyes and calmed down slightly. ¡°The trend is about to explode. I¡¯m not in the mood.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll take care of it.¡± ¡°What if they can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you still have your father?¡± The man carried her to the bathroom and said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s not like he will abandon you.¡± ¡°But he¡¯ll scold me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a scolding. It won¡¯t hurt.¡± Jiang Yingnuo was still uneasy. She stood under the shower and raised her chin against the warm water. She asked him, ¡°What do you think the rest of the content is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no content.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°They want to ckmail you.¡± He squeezed out shampoo and applied it on her hair. ¡°Otherwise, why would they wait until nine?¡± Chapter 148 - 148 Terminating the Contract 148 Terminating the Contract Jiang Yingna frowned. Her sixth sense told her that things were not simple, but at this moment, she did not have time to guess. The sound of water flowing in the bathroom was enough to cover the vibration of the phoneing from the double bed. ¡°Baby.¡± When the man carried her out, her phone was dead. ¡°Do you want a charger?¡± ¡°Not for now.¡± !! ¡°Are you that afraid of looking at the trend?¡± ¡°I find it annoying.¡± Jiang Yingnuo did not want to face it. She leaned into his arms tiredly. When the clock struck nine, she immediately asked him to look at Weibo. ¡°It¡¯s not out yet.¡± ¡°Refresh it.¡± He swiped the screen and kept refreshing. When it reached 9:02, a rising trend entered his vision. # Jiang Yingnuo, the showbiz tramp. Mr. News: ¡°How strong is Kai Yu Entertainment exactly? Threatening to kick their employees if they don¡¯t follow the rules.¡± There were three chat records below the words. The male actor¡¯s face was blurred. People could only see Jiang Yingna threatening him to meet her at the hotel in an arrogant tone. ¡°B*tch. Vomit.jpg¡± ¡°I can tell how hopeless the actor was just by hearing the conversation. Jiang Yingnuo is too inhumane!¡± ¡°The chat history can be faked. Be careful not to be led astray. (I¡¯m not speaking up for her, mind you).¡± ¡°Mr. News loves to post fake news. He probably took money from someone to demane Jiang Yingna.¡± ¡°Kai Yu entertainment will close soon. Smile.jpg¡± ¡°Is the new trending up?¡± Jiang Yingna, who did not know anything, hugged his waist and fell asleep. ¡°No.¡± The man closed thement section. He did not take those screenshots to heart and did not want her to worry about it, so he did not say anything. ¡°Then keep refreshing.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He swiped the screen casually and was about to leave Weibo when another trend popped up. #Jiang Yingnuo, naked photo.¡± Gossip Entertainment: ¡°Shocking! Three men in one night? The sluttiest in the entertainment industry? Yingna is really insatiable!¡± [Picture], [Picture], [Picture] The photos caused an uproar among theizens who were eager to see how things would turn out. While their scolding and analysis made the man feel disgusted with Jiang Yingna, he also realized that the situation had be uncontroble. He looked down at Jiang Yingna in his arms. Out of fear of offending her, he could only charge her phone after she fell asleep. The door was closed in the early morning. The three stacks of banknotes on the bedside table disappeared with the man¡¯s deliberately light footsteps. When Jiang Yingna woke up, it was toote. She put on her sunsses and rushed to Kai Yu. The moment she entered the president¡¯s office, she was pped by Mr. Jiang. ¡°I¡¯m disgusted by you!¡± He kicked her between the knees, making her kneel in front of him. ¡°You still have the cheek toe to thepany?!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Kai Yu Entertainment Company¡¯s stock price has plummeted. Those people outside are stillughing at me. You¡¯ve embarrassed me!¡± Jiang Yingnuo burst into tears. ¡°Dad.¡± She went forward and hugged Mr. Jiang¡¯s leg. ¡°I know what I¡¯ve done wrong. Please help me.¡± ¡°Help you? I still have a lot of mess to clean up at thepany. How do you want me to help you?¡± Mr. Jiang pushed her away. He sat on the sofa and smoked one cigarette after another, looking like he had aged ten years. ¡°Ying Na.¡± After venting his anger, he regained his rationality. ¡°Who did you offend recently?¡± ¡°No one.¡± ¡°They¡¯re obviouslying at you. Think about it carefully. Don¡¯t leave anyone out.¡± Jiang Yingnuo¡¯s thoughts were still in a mess. She opened the recent chat history and analyzed the men and women she had threatened. As more and more people were eliminated, the assistant sent a WeChat message: ¡°Jiang Ye is here to terminate the contract.¡± As soon as Jiang Ye¡¯s name appeared, Jiang Yingna suddenly thought of the Pei family behind him. She gulped. She didn¡¯t want to believe it, but she had to face it. ¡°I think I know who it is.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± Mr. Jiang held his heart after hearing the whole story. After taking the pill, he didn¡¯t even have the strength to p or scold her. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± Jiang Yingnuo tried to calm him down. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± She asked carefully, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the Pei family doesn¡¯t have a daughter?¡± ¡°Indeed, they don¡¯t.¡± Mr. Jiang thought she was asking about the head of the Pei family, so he didn¡¯t think about their granddaughter. He took a few sips of water. ¡°His granddaughter doesn¡¯t show up often. I won¡¯t know until I see Jiang Ye.¡± Jiang Yingnuo was so nervous that she was sweating. She followed Mr. Jiang to the conference room. When she saw that there was only a middle-aged man beside Jiang Ye, she felt a little relieved. ¡°Please sit.¡± At this juncture, Mr. Jiang couldn¡¯t put on his usual airs. He sized up Jiang Ye and then looked at the middle-aged man in the suit. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Jiang Ye¡¯swyer.¡± Thewyer took out a business card and handed it to him with a smile. Mr. Jiang stared at the words ¡°Star River Legal Department¡±. His head felt like it had been hit by a gong, and even his ears were ringing for a moment. He knew the rtionship between Star River¡¯s boss and Pei Zhi. ¡°Mr. Jiang.¡± He put down the business card with trembling hands and softened his attitude. ¡°Just tell me what you want.¡± Jiang Ye told him about terminating the contract. At the mention of thepensation, thewyer said, ¡°The liquidated damage set by Kai Yu Entertainment has already exceeded the limit stipted in theborw.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the liquidated damage.¡± Mr. Jiang did not care about the millions. He only wanted to minimize the losses. Jiang Ye refused. ¡°No need.¡± He knew what he was up to and said bluntly, ¡°Let¡¯s do it ording toborw.¡± ¡°Then how much can you pay?¡± ¡°Two million.¡± Thewyer did the math for Kai Yu Entertainment and asked him to sign the contract. After the entire process was over, Jiang Ye heaved a sigh of relief. He flipped through the contract and the pressure that had been building up for three yearspletely disappeared at this moment. ¡°Mr. Jiang.¡± Seeing him stand up, Mr. Jiang immediately approached him. ¡°I apologize to you on behalf of my daughter.¡± Chairman Jiang, who had always been high and mighty, bowed in front of Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye could not take his bow. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He turned around and looked at Jiang Yingnuo. ¡°Your apology means nothing. ¡°Then what do you want?!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anything.¡± Before Jiang Yingnuo could rush up, Mr. Jiang pped her again. ¡°Apologize!¡± She held her left cheek and burst into tears as if she had been humiliated. Her pride and self-esteem were trampled upon mercilessly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to force her.¡± Jiang Ye did not need an apology. He picked up the contract and turned to leave. Even Mr. Jiang couldn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Jiang Yingna, do you want to anger me to death?!¡± Jiang Yingnuo couldn¡¯t stop crying. She swallowed the blood that seeped out of her lower lip and grabbed Mr. Jiang¡¯s hand tightly. ¡°There¡¯s still a way.¡± Chapter 149 - 149 Just For Fun 149 Just For Fun ¡°What way?¡± ¡°Send me overseas.¡± She did not want to stay in Lin City anymore. Or rather, she could not stay any longer. ¡°Send you overseas and the problem we are facing will be solved automatically? You¡¯re thinking too simply!¡± Mr. Jiang ced his hands behind his back. ¡°I¡¯ll get them to invite reporters over. Apologize in front of the camera.¡± ¡°No!¡± Jiang Yingnuo raised her voice. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what an apology means? How can I live like this?¡± Of course, Mr. Jiang knew. However, for the sake of Kai Yu, he had to push her out. Otherwise, things would not end well. ¡°Yingna, I¡¯m not negotiating with you.¡± ¡°Must you force me like this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m teaching you to take responsibility!¡± Jiang Yingnuo sneered, ¡°Am I really your daughter? Why are you making a scapegoat out of me whenever something happens?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you cause this situation yourself?¡± ¡°But you¡­¡± ¡°President Jiang, the police are here.¡± An employee hurriedly ran into the conference room and gestured for them to look out. One of the police officers stepped forward with handcuffs. He handcuffed Jiang Yingna¡¯s hands and forcefully took her away under the pretext of illegal drug use. ¡°Dad, help me!¡± Jiang Yingna, who hade back to her senses, turned to look at him with red eyes. She did not deny it from the beginning to the end, making Mr. Jiang even more certain that she really used illegal drugs. He closed the door in disappointment, not even bothering to look at her. While Jiang Yingna, who was crying until she almost fainted, was brought back to the police station, Kai Yu made two announcements to the public. Firstly, Kai Yu apologized to all the victims harmed by Jiang Yingna and offered topensate them. Secondly, he would cut ties with her. No matter which one it was, it caused a hugemotion on the inte. Everyone, including the employees of Star River, was gossiping. ¡°Jiang Yingnuo was actually arrested!¡± ¡°You just found out? Her father even cut ties with her.¡± ¡°This reversal is too dramatic.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Both the father and daughter are ruthless.¡± Jiang Ye, who had identally heard their conversation, stopped in his tracks. As he walked to the cafeteria, he smiled under the mask. ¡°Jiang Ye, over here.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who was standing in front of the table, raised his hand. It was lunchtime. When the employees and celebrities sitting in the hall heard his voice, they couldn¡¯t help but look up at Jiang Ye. Jiang Ye, who received many gazes, quickened his pace and walked to his side. He took the te and chose dishes with Zhou Yanshen. ¡°President Zhou, do you usually eat here?¡± ¡°Call him Brother Yanshen,¡± Zhou Yanshen corrected him. Then, he answered his question, ¡°I paid a high price to hire the chefs in the cafeteria. THeir culinary skills are not inferior to those outside.¡± ¡°No wonder so many employees are dining here.¡± From this alone, Jiang Ye could tell the difference between Star River and Kai Yu. Under Zhou Yanshen¡¯s rmendation, he picked up a lot of dishes and only went to find a seat when his te was full. ¡°Do you have any requirements for your agent?¡± Zhou Yanshen asked. ¡°It¡¯s best if my agent is a male.¡± ¡°Are you afraid that Pei Yn will get jealous?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye took off his mask. ¡°It¡¯s easier to get along with men.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked around. He pointed at a man wearing sses. ¡°He¡¯s very down-to-earth and capable.¡± ¡°How many celebrities does he have?¡± ¡°There was one, but that celebrity thought he was too stubborn, so he found another agent.¡± ¡°Stubborn in what way?¡± Jiang Ye secretly sized up the man in sses. He found him quite friendly-looking. ¡°He wants his celebrities to use their ability to climb up the socialdder, so he¡¯ll reject many social events.¡± Zhou Yanshen chewed on the food. ¡°Those who want a shortcut can¡¯t get along with him. Those who don¡¯t are too rare.¡± ¡°I have the same thoughts as him.¡± Jiang Ye was in a difficult situation, but his initial intention had never changed. He needed someone like him, not like Yang Qifeng, who was easily corrupted by greed. ¡°Him then.¡± Zhou Yanshen said, ¡°I¡¯ll get him to talk to you after the meal.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Just as Jiang Ye was about to turn around, a celebrity walked over. She put her hand on Zhou Yanshen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yanshen.¡± Her delicate voice was extremely irresistible. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to endorse Blue Nile.¡± Du Wei leaned over with a smile. ¡°Can you help me with it?¡± ¡°Go look for your agent.¡± ¡°I did, but he can¡¯t.¡± Zhou Yanshen pulled away the hand on his shoulder with a cold expression. ¡°Nor can I.¡± Du Wei did not notice the change in him. She did not lower her voice and acted coquettishly to him like before. ¡°Yanshen, can you stay with me tonight?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up.¡± ¡°We can be friends even if we break up.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Zhou Yanshen had always disliked talking to people he was tired of, let alone sleeping with them. He pointed at the door. ¡°You should go.¡± Du Wei¡¯s eyes widened. She had once thought that even if they broke up, she would remain a special one. She did not expect to be treated as such today. ¡°Yanshen, did you ever like me?¡± She asked subconsciously. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did you choose to be with me?¡± Zhou Yanshen raised an eyebrow. ¡°For fun.¡± He smiled coldly. Du Wei, whose fantasy had been shattered by these two words, no longer treated him as her ¡®ex-boyfriend¡¯. ¡°Alright.¡± Afraid that she would be mocked by the other celebrities, she quicklyposed herself. ¡°President Zhou, enjoy.¡± ¡°Help me throw it.¡± Zhou Yanshen opened the wrapper of the cigarette box, crumpled it into a ball, and stuffed it to her. He asked Jiang Ye, ¡°Do you smoke?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye nced at Du Wei¡¯s increasingly ugly expression and couldn¡¯t help but admire his ruthlessness. He lit the cigarette Zhou Yanshen handed over. He did not intend to linger on this topic, but he heard Zhou Yanshen say, ¡°We already broke up and she actually still had the cheek to ask for resources from me.¡± Zhou Yanshen fiddled with the lighter. ¡°She¡¯s just like those women. They don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them.¡± ¡°She thought you still had her in your heart.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s still asleep.¡± Jiang Ye was speechless. He was sure that the rumor about him was true. He leaned back in his chair and blew out a stream of smoke. ¡°Are your exes all from Star River?¡± ¡°Mostly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you find it awkward?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou Yanshen crossed his legs. ¡°In any case, we have no feelings for each other and won¡¯te into contact again.¡± Jiang Ye looked at him through the smoke and asked after a long pause, ¡°Do you have feelings for Qian Yue?¡± ¡°What kind of feeling do you mean?¡± ¡°Love.¡± Zhou Yanshen thought of what Lin Jiao once said about not asking for anything in return in a rtionship. He still couldn¡¯t reach that level yet. He shook his head. ¡°Only a good impression.¡± ¡°A good impression is a prerequisite for liking someone.¡± At least, it was much better than ¡®for fun¡¯. Chapter 150 - 150 Burning the Bridge After Crossing It 150 Burning the Bridge After Crossing It ¡°Do you think she likes me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Jiang Ye pretended not to know. He reminded Zhou Yanshen, ¡°If you put in the effort, she should like you.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Zhou Yanshen seemed to understand. He stubbed out the cigarette between his fingers and called the man with sses, who had just finished eating, to go upstairs. The man was called Wu Rui. He was a year older than Jiang Ye and had a steady personality. He was an easy-going person. Under Zhou Yanshen¡¯s instructions, he brought Jiang Ye to look around thepany first before introducing some celebrities and agents to him. ¡°How many celebrities are there in Star River?¡± Jiang Ye asked when they went to the office. ¡°One hundred and thirty-nine.¡± ¡°How many A-lister are there?¡± ¡°Thirteen,¡± Wu Rui said slowly. ¡°Twenty-four B-listers. Fifty-nine C and D listers.¡± ¡°What about the rest?¡± ¡°They¡¯re either trainees or waiting to be kicked out.¡± Jiang Ye roughly understood. He told Wu Rui about his current situation and emphasized, ¡°I don¡¯t want any rumors to spread between me and other celebrities.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wu Rui did not want that to happen either. He asked, ¡°Are you considering setting up an affectionate persona?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Call her in front of the public at all times, tell them how you fell in love with her, and then express your love.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Jiang Ye frowned, not wanting his feelings to be a topic of conversation. ¡°That¡¯s too hypocritical. I can¡¯t do that.¡± Wu Rui had almost figured out his personality. He poured a ss of water for Jiang Ye. ¡°Then let¡¯s not set up a persona. Let¡¯s rely on our ability and work.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Do you have a lot of female fans?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Jiang Ye rarely read thements and did not care much about this. Wu Rui could only scroll through Weibo to find out. He figured out his fan base and type as soon as possible beforeing up with a n. ¡°In the meantime, tell your fans that you want to fall in love. Then, you can slowly make it public.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I just say it out loud now?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll get all the hate?¡± Jiang Ye had seen how far crazy fans could go. Just the thought of them criticizing her was hard to ept. He rubbed the cup. ¡°How long do I have to wait? I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll feel insecure if I put it off for too long.¡± ¡°The end of the year at the earliest.¡± Wu Rui had a family and could definitely understand his worries. He put his hand on Jiang Ye¡¯s shoulder. ¡°In this day and age, there are too few celebrities as responsible as you.¡± ¡°Maybe they haven¡¯t met the right person yet?¡± Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow and did notment much. He then discussed the script with Wu Rui. ¡°I prefer suspense, action, and history.¡± ¡°Suspense?¡± Wu Rui opened the drawer under the desk and found the script. ¡°I happen to have one.¡± ¡°When will the audition be held?¡± ¡°Next Friday.¡± Jiang Ye left after talking to him about the details. On the way to his apartment, he reported to Pei Yn about his uing ns, including hiding their rtionship for the time being. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Yn understood. Sheforted him instead. ¡°It¡¯s just next month anyway. You don¡¯t have to be sorry.¡± Jiang Ye couldn¡¯t help but smile. He held the phone close to his ear. ¡°Look at the calendar first and choose a time you like.¡± ¡°I want to choose with you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up from work at six?¡± Pei Yn felt like she had been fed a spoonful of honey. She agreed softly. ¡°Where are you now?¡± ¡°On the way back to the apartment.¡± ¡°Can you move all your stuff out today?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Jiang Ye chatted with her until the taxi stopped. He walked into the apartment Kai Yu provided for celebrities and took the elevator to the fifth floor. Kai Yu Entertainment had always adopted the method of ssifying their celebrities by giving them different floors. Jiang Ye pushed open the door. He looked at the ¡®home¡¯, and a sense of oppression overwhelmed him again. The memories ¡°home¡± left him were not pleasant. He could only remember the three years he spent wandering and suffering in this tiny space. ¡°Jiang Ye?¡± The room was not soundproof, so Yang Qifeng¡¯s voice could be heard clearly. The knock on the door brought Jiang Ye back to his senses. He approached the door in two steps. As he pressed the door handle, he asked, ¡°How did you know I was here?¡± ¡°I saw you just now.¡± Yang Qifeng ced his briefcase on the coffee table. He sat down and stretched his shoulders. ¡°I have an adventure variety show here. Are you interested?¡± ¡°I terminated my contract with Kai Yu.¡± ¡°What?! Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Jiang Ye took out the suitcase under the bed and packed his things slowly. His cold expression stunned Yang Qifeng. ¡°What did I do to offend you?¡± His face fell, as if he was dissatisfied with his sudden change in attitude. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Know what? Make yourself clear.¡± Jiang Ye took off the coat hanger. ¡°Have you forgotten about lying to me about meeting Jiang Yingnuo?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not lying.¡± ¡°Then what is that?¡± ¡°She wanted to see you to talk about business.¡± Yang Qifeng¡¯s tone was light. ¡°You don¡¯t know her true motive?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what her motive is. What matters is what you can get out of it.¡± Jiang Ye smirked. ¡°To you, I¡¯m just a tool for you to achieve what you want, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound so bad.¡± Yang Qifeng puffed on his cigarette. ¡°Weplement each other.¡± Hearing that, Jiang Ye couldn¡¯t help butugh. He put the folded clothes into his suitcase and turned to get his daily necessities. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you can leave.¡± Yang Qifeng was already used to his bad temper and couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with him. ¡°Have you found your nextpany?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I think Star River is not bad. Tell Miss Pei about it so that we can continue to work together.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you talk to them yourself?¡± Jiang Ye did not stop packing. All he wanted was to get out of here as soon as possible. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Not good enough?¡± ¡°Star RIver doesn¡¯tck agents.¡± Yang Qifeng started to n how to get in through the back door. ¡°And I still have to bring two celebrities over.¡± ¡°Do you think Star River is mypany? I can sign whoever I want?¡± ¡°Given Miss Pei¡¯s rtionship with you¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Jiang Ye refused directly, not wanting to show any mercy. ¡°I can¡¯t help you.¡± ¡°Jiang Ye, are you trying to burn the bridge after crossing it?¡± ¡°You were the one who burned the bridge first.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already arrested!¡± Yang Qifeng knew what he was angry about, but he couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡°What¡¯s the point of holding on to it?¡± ¡°There is no point.¡± Jiang Ye put down the key. ¡°I can¡¯t get through to someone like you.¡± Hearing the sound of luggage being dragged, Yang Qifeng finally realized that he had angered him this time. Chapter 151 - 151 She Would Get Tired Of Him Sooner or Later 151 She Would Get Tired Of Him Sooner or Later He suddenly got all emotional. ¡°Jiang Ye, on ount of me helping you for three years, can you help me onest time?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that weplement each other? Now you speak as if you helped me more than I did.¡± ¡°It was all because of me that you were able to reach where you are today.¡± Jiang Ye mocked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it your job to find resources for celebrities? Didn¡¯t Kai Yu give you a sry?¡± Yang Qifeng met that pair of cold eyes and did not know how to refute him. He grabbed Jiang Ye¡¯s arm. ¡°Jiang Ye, you saw what happened to Kai Yu Entertainment. I have no future here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s your business.¡± Jiang Ye was not that kind-hearted to help someone who harmed him. He opened the cage that had locked him up for three years and lifted the suitcase to cross the threshold. Yang Qifeng, who was standing in the dark, stared at him angrily. ¡°Jiang Ye, the Pei family won¡¯t always be your backer!¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll get tired of you sooner orter!¡± Jiang Ye imagined Pei Yn putting her hands on her hips and telling him arrogantly that she was tired of him. He chuckled. ¡°I actually don¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Is it very funny?¡± Yang Qifeng did not hear him clearly. He thought that Jiang Ye was mocking him, so he raised his voice. ¡°You¡¯ll cry in the future. If you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see!¡± Jiang Ye disappeared around the corner with the sound of a suitcase being dragged. He abandoned everything about Kai Yu Entertainment and walked forward under the warm sun, not looking back at all. # Sheng Heng Corp. When it was time to get off work, Pei Yn, who had forgotten to bring her makeup set, quickly went to the nning department. She called Lin Jiao, who had just finished working, to sit in the resting area for a moment. ¡°Jiaojiao, which color do you think I should apply?¡± ¡°Red.¡± ¡°Lancore or Ysl?¡± ¡°Lancor.¡± Lin Jiao lowered her head to rummage through her bag and found mascara for her. ¡°The color will be lighter.¡± Pei Yn put on lipstick in front of the mirror. She pursed her lips and could not stop smiling. ¡°He moved his things into Ming Xin Mansion this afternoon.¡± Star River also provided apartments for their celebrities. Jiang Ye did not want to live in an apartment anymore, so he rented Zhou Yanshen¡¯s apartment in Ming Xinst night. Of course, he paid for it himself. ¡°You have an idea in mind?¡± Lin Jiao seemed to be infected by her joy and smiled unconsciously. ¡°Yes, but I want to wait until next month.¡± ¡°He might not even agree next month.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Pei Yn widened her eyes and brushed her mascara up and down. ¡°I¡¯ll use the trick you used.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the blush brush and applied a thinyer on Pei Yn¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Are you going to the new productunch tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn closed the air cushion. ¡°I heard that all the employees who joined this year will participate?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll have another wave of love rivals.¡± ¡°I got used to it.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s smile did not change. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t be tempted by an outstanding man?¡± Pei Yn nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± She picked up the cup and took two sips. ¡°When will you two make it public?¡± ¡°At least next year.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t reached my goal yet.¡± Lin Jiao put away the cosmetics. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be disturbed at this stage.¡± ¡°The goal to be promoted to supervisor?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°That¡¯s easy for you. With your performance by far, you¡¯ll be promoted at the end of the year.¡± Pei Yn was very confident in her ability. ¡°I hope so.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and opened WeChat. ¡°He¡¯s waiting for me.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go downstairs first.¡± Pei Yn said goodbye to her on the first floor and ran out. Under the ginkgo tree diagonally opposite Sheng Heng Hall, a man in a woolen jacket attracted the attention of many female employees. His figure was slender and the ratio was wless. Even though he was wearing a mask and a baseball cap, the aura he exuded could still make him noticeable in a crowd. Jiang Ye ignored the gazes around him. When he caught sight of a familiar figure, his eyes lit up. The moment their eyes met, he quickly went forward to hold Pei Yn, who was pouncing on him, and wrapped his arms around her waist. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± Pei Yn looked up at him, her eyes filled with excitement and shyness. ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡± ¡°Not long.¡± It had only been twenty minutes. He took a step forward. ¡°Shall we eat first?¡± ¡°Where are we going to eat?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a revolving restaurant near the television tower. That location has a good night cityscape.¡± Pei Yn got into a taxi with him. She leaned against his shoulder and let the scent of cedar enter her nose. ¡°Is the house cleaned?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Jiang Ye yed with her chubby hand. ¡°I haven¡¯t cleaned the kitchen and cloakroom yet.¡± ¡°You can cook?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll cook it for you next time.¡± ¡°How about Saturday?¡± Pei Yn couldn¡¯t wait to try his cooking. ¡°I happen to have time.¡± ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± ¡°Not picky?¡± Jiang Ye pinched her cheek. ¡°Who said she didn¡¯t like pork trottersst time?¡± ¡°Pork trotters are different.¡± ¡°Different in what way?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick of it after eating it for more than two months.¡± Pei Yn pulled his hand away. ¡°And you ordered it, okay?¡± ¡°I thought you liked it.¡± After all, she had been staring at someone else¡¯s pork trotter soup at that time. Jiang Ye pulled himself back from his thoughts and focused on the first half of her sentence. ¡°Were you recuperating from an illness before?¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°Then why did you eat pork trotters for more than two months?¡± Seeing his worried expression, Pei Yn did not intend to lie to him. She whispered into his ear, ¡°Shen Yi said it was very useful, so I tried it.¡± Jiang Ye did not expect this to be the reason. He looked straight at the windshield and asked out of curiosity, ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn could visibly see some improvement and even shared it with him. ¡°Compared to before¡­¡± ¡°No need to go into detail.¡± ¡°In any case, it¡¯s better than before.¡± She swallowed the words she had yet to say and used a tactful way. ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye did not ask further. He got out of the car with Pei Yn and strolled to the revolving restaurant with her. ¡°What are we going to do after dinner?¡± ¡°To watch a movie.¡± ¡°Which type of movie did you book?¡± Pei Yn followed him to the seat by the window. ¡°Aedy.¡± Jiang Ye pulled out a chair for her like a gentleman. After she sat down, he walked to the opposite side of the square table. ¡°Have you been to the cinema recently?¡± Chapter 152 - 152 Never Cheated 152 Never Cheated ¡°I haven¡¯t seen movies in a long time.¡± Pei Yn put down her bag and sized up the elegant environment of the restaurant. There was a floor-to-ceiling window beside her, and she could see the city that was wrapped in the afterglow. ¡°It¡¯ll be even prettier at night.¡± Jiang Ye took off his mask and followed her gaze. ¡°Have you been here before?¡± ¡°No.¡± He spread out the folded tablecloth and handed it to her first. ¡°This is the first time.¡± !! Pei Yn could tell that he had put in a lot of effort in choosing this ce. It was because of this that she was even more immersed in the feeling of being doted on by him. ¡°I want all your firsts. Can I?¡± ¡°What about yours?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you too.¡± Jiang Ye nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± He stared at that sweet face. ¡°Tell me what you want us to do together.¡± ¡°You can do anything with me, right?¡± ¡°I can.¡± Pei Yn said what she wanted to do the most at the moment, ¡°I want to wear a couple outfit and wear a couple¡¯s essory.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have time tonight.¡± Jiang Ye looked at the watch on his wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s go shopping on Thursday.¡± ¡°No hurry.¡± She pondered for a few moments before throwing out another heavy question. ¡°Have you ever worn a couple¡¯s clothes with her?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about the essories?¡± ¡°I think we used the same phone case.¡± His previous rtionship was too long ago, so Jiang Ye couldn¡¯t remember it clearly. Seeing that he really could remember, Pei Yn couldn¡¯t help but rejoice. ¡°Custom-made?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I want it custom-made.¡± Jiang Ye, who did not smell jealousy, agreed with a smile. He looked at the food cart and waited for the waiter to bring the dishes to him. ¡°Do you usually eat a lot of western food?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± Pei Yn picked up her knife and fork. ¡°I always eat Chinese food at home.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you to eat hotpot next time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She forked up the beef tartar. ¡°Usually, hotpot restaurants that look old are the best.¡± ¡°How old?¡± ¡°Like the paint on the walls is almost all gone.¡± Jiang Ye went online to search for the restaurants that looked old. ¡°I¡¯ve been to this one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Surprise shed across his eyes. ¡°Do you eat in that alley often?¡± Pei Yn nodded. ¡°Not just there. I¡¯ve been to almost all the old shops nearby.¡± ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t visit this kind of ce.¡± ¡°Because my family is rich?¡± ¡°You can say that.¡± Jiang Ye gave her an example. ¡°I have a ssmate whose family background is not as good as yours, but she eats delicacies every day. If we choose a three-star hotel for dinner, she willin.¡± ¡°She¡¯s spoiled by her father.¡± Pei Yn had seen many simr people, but they did not get along. She took two sips of water. ¡°If I were to eat delicacies every day, my parents would have kicked me out of the house.¡± He started to be interested in her family who had brought her up so well. He smiled. ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Yn told him about how she was beaten up when she was young. Just listening to the things she described made Jiang Ye feel pain. He cut the steak into bite-size pieces and pushed the te to her. ¡°Does that mean your uncle never hit you?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why are you afraid of him?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll put mental pressure on me.¡± Pei Yn chewed and swallowed the steak. She could not describe the feeling Pei Zhi gave her. ¡°I¡¯ll show you his masterpiece in the future.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jiang Ye was interested in everything about her. He was willing to spend time getting to know her and walking into her life to be indispensable. The sound of the silver fork touching the te was heard from time to time, but when the night fell, it stopped. Thete autumn night arrived silently. The neon lights shing outside the window were like stars in the night sky, blooming brightly. Pei Yn held her chin and turned to look at the beautiful scenery below. The French windows reflected her figure, making her look like she was covered in a veil. For a moment, Jiang Ye really wanted to record this moment. He clicked on the camera to adjust the angle and quietly framed her side profile and the French window. ¡°Are you taking photos of me?¡± Pei Yn looked at him when he was done taking photos. ¡°I was taking photos of the light.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Jiang Ye stopped teasing her. He showed her the photo. ¡°It is not bad. Do you like it?¡± ¡°I like it.¡± Pei Yn walked to his side and kissed his cheek while no one was looking. She admired the photo again. ¡°Your photography skills are really good. It¡¯s even better than my selfies.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not suited for selfies.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t look like myself in the selfies?¡± ¡°And you don¡¯t know how to find an angle.¡± ¡°Then take more photos of me in the future.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Jiang Ye rubbed the top of her head. After he sent her the photo, he held her hand and left the restaurant. Behind the television tower was a shopping mall, and on top of which there was a cinema. Although it was not the weekend, there were still many people sitting in the waiting hall. Pei Yn whispered into his ear, their intimate interaction attracting a couple who passed by. ¡°Yn.¡± Gu Quan sat down on the empty seat on their right. ¡°Long time no see.¡± The familiar voice made Pei Yn stop smiling. She nced sideways at the woman and had a rough idea who she was. ¡°President Gu, aren¡¯t you going to introduce us?¡± ¡°This is my girlfriend, Su Tian.¡± ¡°Su Tian? The Su Tian who seduced you even though she knows you have a girlfriend?¡± Gu Quan¡¯s expression changed slightly. He patted Su Tian¡¯s back andforted her with his eyes. ¡°I was single when we started dating.¡± ¡°Why do I remember that you hugged her at the airport before you broke up with your ex?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for friends to hug each other?¡± Pei Yn sneered. ¡°To you, only having sex with someone else is considered cheating, right?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± Su Tian interrupted, ¡°Quan never cheated on anyone. We were just normal friends.¡± ¡°Are you trying to tell me that the person he loves has always been you, so there¡¯s no such thing as cheating?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± ¡°Stop pretending in front of me.¡± Pei Yn nced at her disdainfully. ¡°You know best what you mean.¡± ¡°Yn, you don¡¯t have to be so aggressive.¡± Gu Quan did not re up on Lin Jiao¡¯s ount. He pulled Su Tian into his arms. ¡°Seeing is not necessarily believing. Only you and me know the truth. What others think doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Chapter 153 - 153 He Had Put in Efforts in Those Two Years 153 He Had Put in Efforts in Those Two Years Seeing that he was not going to admit what he had done wrong, Pei Yn clenched her fists. She resisted the urge to ssh the coke on them and looked at them with a fake smile. ¡°Gu Quan, you really don¡¯t deserve her.¡± Gu Quan seemed to understand what she meant. He met Pei Yn¡¯s mocking gaze and said disapprovingly, ¡°I also put in a lot of effort in those two years.¡± ¡°You still have the cheek to tell me that you¡¯ve put in a lot of effort?¡± !! ¡°That¡¯s the truth.¡± Pei Yn had never seen such a shameless person. ¡°It¡¯s the fact that you hurt her very badly.¡± Gu Quan did not deny it. He could not erase the pain he had caused Lin Jiao, so the guilt in his heart had always been there. Su Tian, who did not want him to divert his attention to other women, hugged him. ¡°Quan, let bygones be bygones.¡± Her act of innocence was disgusting to Pei Yn. ¡°It¡¯s disgusting.¡± She broke free from Jiang Ye¡¯s arms and said, ¡°The b*tchy smell is too thick. Let¡¯s find somewhere else to wait.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± Jiang Ye raised his chin to point in a direction. He put an arm around her and walked away. As soon as she sat down, Pei Yn bit the straw and took a big sip of c. ¡°It¡¯s really unlucky to meet that adulterous couple!¡± ¡°Who did he betray?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s expression froze. He did not seem to expect it to be Lin Jiao. After confirming it again, he looked at them. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with his taste.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Yn looked at Su Tian with disdain. ¡°She¡¯s inferior to Jiaojiao in every aspect.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no way they can beparable.¡± Jiang Ye had always been good at reading people. Her expression just now did not escape his eyes. He fed Pei Yn a piece of popcorn. ¡°She¡¯s quite scheming. I can¡¯t believe that Gu-something can¡¯t tell.¡± ¡°How can you tell she¡¯s scheming?¡± ¡°When Gu said that he had put in a lot of effort in those two years, she didn¡¯t look happy. Later on, she was very anxious to divert his attention.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t notice it just now.¡± Pei Yn turned her head away in annoyance. ¡°They¡¯re not worth your attention.¡± Jiang Ye kissed the side of her face through the mask. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡± His breath brushed against her skin through the thin cotton cloth like a feather, making her feel itchy. Pei Yn¡¯s anger seemed to have dissipated. When she heard the notification sound from the stereo, she picked up the Coke and followed him to the screening room. The adulterous couple watched the same movie as them. However, their seats were too far apart and it was not easy to see faces in the dim environment, so it did not affect Pei Yn¡¯s mood. As the opening song ended, a scene that made people burst outughing appeared. Theughtering from the surrounding people was different. Immersed in such an atmosphere, it was easy to forget all the unhappiness. Jiang Ye held her hand the entire time. asionally, he would look at her. Even without saying a word, they could feel each other¡¯s presence. Aedy was ying on the screen. A romance movie was ying in the room. It was the same for couples in love. No matter where they were, they could capture the joy that lingered around them. ¡°If you look at me again, I¡¯ll kiss you.¡± When Jiang Ye caught her peeping at him, he leaned over and whispered into her ear. His straightforward gaze made Pei Yn blush. She moved closer to him, looking for an angle to raise her chin that no one else could see. ¡°For you to kiss.¡± Jiang Ye pulled down his mask without hesitation. He covered her slightly pouting lips, closing the distance between them. The mixed sweetness of coke and popcorn seemed to have a special attraction, making them immersed in it and unwilling to leave. When the lights above their heads suddenly lit up and a conversation entered their ears, Jiang Ye pulled himself away from the sweet whirlpool. He rubbed her lips. ¡°Do you want to see the bonus scene?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn helped him pull up his mask and walked out of the narrow aisle. They ignored Gu Quan and Su Tian and disappeared into the night in a taxi. The driver stepped on the brakes at the entrance of an alley in the old district. Jiang Ye walked under the moonlight with her, enjoying the autumn breeze. He had never sent her home before. This was the first time he saw a ce uniquely different from all those modern skyscrapers. ¡°Yn.¡± He looked around at the brick wall on both sides. ¡°Where do you live?¡± ¡°We have to turn a few more corners before we can see it.¡± ¡°A quadrangle courtyard house?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn pushed aside the strands of hair on the side of her face. ¡°My house is an ordinary residential building.¡± ¡°A house?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She lowered her eyes and looked at the two shadows elongated by the streetmp. ¡°It¡¯s only got two floors and not too big.¡± ¡°Your entire family lives together?¡± ¡°Uncle doesn¡¯t live with us.¡± A ck cat suddenly entered Jiang Ye¡¯s line of sight. He pursed his lips. Before he could ask if she was afraid, he heard her say, ¡°He lives outside with Jiaojiao.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Seeing that his reaction was calm, Pei Yn deliberately emphasized, ¡°I¡¯m very envious.¡± Jiang Ye walked around to her right to block the cat who was staring at them. ¡°You¡¯re different from him. I don¡¯t rmend you move out.¡± ¡°How is it different?¡± ¡°He¡¯s a man. He can protect himself.¡± Pei Yn was stunned. She looked at his serious expression and burst outughing. ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m envious of Jiaojiao.¡± Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow. He thought about what she had just said and wanted to confirm it. ¡°What do you envy her for?¡± ¡°She can see someone she likes at any time.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t shacked up with anyone before.¡± Pei Yn tried to test his reaction. ¡°I want to try.¡± Her hint was obvious. However, Jiang Ye wanted to be responsible for her. He said seriously, ¡°It¡¯s too early to live together.¡± ¡°When do you think is the right time?¡± ¡°At least after we¡¯ve been dating for six months.¡± Lin Jiao was right. If she discussed it with him, it would definitely not happen next month. Pei Yn was lost in thought, trying toe up with a n to persuade him. Her silence could easily cause Jiang Ye to misunderstand. He held her hand tightly and chose to give in. ¡°How about five months?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then when do you think is good?¡± Pei Yn threw the question back to him. ¡°Think about it yourself.¡± ¡°When did they start living together?¡± ¡°A week after they started dating.¡± ¡°That soon?¡± Jiang Ye found it hard to believe, but he knew that she was not joking. ¡°Do they sleep separately or together?¡± Pei Yn looked up. ¡°What do you think?¡± Chapter 154 - 154 Long Expectation 154 Long Expectation Jiang Ye did not know the truth, nor did he know how ¡®suffering¡¯ Pei Zhi was during this period of time. Instead, he gave the idea of living together a serious thought. Based on the current situation, he would most likely be with the filming crew all the time. If they lived separately, they would definitely not have enough time to spend with each other. ¡°Yn.¡± Jiang Ye stopped in his tracks. ¡°Can we live together after I finish filming my next drama?¡± ¡°How long will it take before it finishes?¡± ¡°Until January.¡± The time he gave was very close to what Pei Yn originally had in mind. ¡°Sure.¡± She said seriously, ¡°You have to keep your word. You can¡¯t change your mind at thest minute.¡± Jiang Ye put his arm around her waist. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He paused for a moment and said, ¡°But I think it¡¯s best to sleep separately at the beginning.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to take it one step at a time with you. Only by taking every step seriously can our rtionshipst.¡± Pei Yn could tell from his eyes that he wanted this rtionship tost forever. ¡°Okay.¡± She leaned on his shoulder and continued walking. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± A smile appeared in Jiang Ye¡¯s eyes. He sent Pei Yn to the entrance of the courtyard. ¡°I have to film tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. I can¡¯t be with you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you on Friday?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll pick you up from work on Friday.¡± Pei Yn pulled him to the right and hid somewhere the janitor couldn¡¯t see. ¡°Can I get more kisses?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye leaned over and kissed her. They kissed against the tiled wall and did not even notice a car driving over slowly. Seeing that they were kissing non-stop, Pei Zicheng cleared his throat to remind them. The sudden sound broke the lovey-dovey vibe. Pei Yn opened her eyes. The moment she saw that smiling face, she felt her ears turn red in a second. Hearing her call the man Dad, Jiang Ye quickly turned around and took off his baseball cap. He stood up straight. ¡°Hello, Uncle.¡± Only then did Pei Qisheng see his face clearly. Unlike other parents, he was not in a hurry to ask a bunch of personal questions the first time they met. ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°Near the television tower.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fireworks show tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Ye reported what they did together. He was so nervous that his back was tense. Looking at Jiang Ye, Pei Zicheng felt like he behaved exactly like him the first time he saw his father-inw back then. He turned to the side. ¡°Do you smoke?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What brand?¡± Jiang Ye took out the cigarette box from his pocket. Before he could answer, his sleeve was grabbed. He understood what Pei Yn meant and quickly handed one to Pei Qisheng. ¡°I¡¯ll light it for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± He wanted to wait until he was in the shower. Pei Qisheng looked like he didn¡¯t want to smoke, but he actually hid the cigar in his pocket. ¡°Do you want to go in and sit for a while?¡± Jiang Ye did not even prepare a greeting gift and was too embarrassed to go in. ¡°It¡¯s toote today. I¡¯ll visit you again next time.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zicheng did not insist. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go back first. You two go on.¡± The moment the car disappeared from sight, Jiang Ye leaned against the wall and let out a long breath. He put on his baseball cap and rubbed Pei Yn¡¯s head. ¡°You should go home too.¡± Pei Yn agreed with a red face. ¡°Tell me when you get to Ming Xin Mansion.¡± She said good night to Jiang Ye and turned to walk into the courtyard. Seeing her disappear around the corner, he slowly lit a cigarette and left the alley with a smile. # The luminescent moon was gradually reced by the warm sun. A group of media people registered at the door and followed the crowd to a conference hall that could amodate hundreds of people. Sheng Heng Corporation held new productunch events very often, but the president only attended two a year. Therefore, there were more reporters than usual this time. ¡°Why isn¡¯t President Pei here yet?¡± Meng Xi, who was sitting in the third row, raised her chin and looked around. ¡°It doesn¡¯t start until ten sharp.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t he show up early?¡± ¡°Not usually.¡± Lin Jiao turned off the phone screen and took two sips of juice. She looked at the PR department employees who entered one after another and greeted Pei Yn. ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re here so early.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not early at all.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± Lin Jiao paused. ¡°Coming soon. Shall we have lunch together?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn looked at her colleagues and found that most people had arrived. Not long after they ended the topic, the curtains in the conference room automatically closed,pletely blocking the sunlight that was projected on the LED screen. When the clock struck ten, the host appeared. He held the microphone and gave an opening speech thatsted ten minutes before exining the new product type. ¡°President of Sheng Heng, Mr. Pei Zhi, pleasee on stage!¡± He turned to the left, causing everyone to follow his gaze. A round of apuse sounded. The man walked straight to the podium and barged into their line of sight with his back facing the LED screen. He was wearing a custom-made suit with his cor buttoned to the top. At the same time, he exuded an aura of dominance, making people want to submit to him. ¡°Good morning, everyone.¡± He raised his hand to push the gold-framed sses on the bridge of his nose and nced down. His cold gaze and sexy voice instantly won the hearts of many women. They looked at that god-like face and were stunned for a long time like someone had pressed a pause button on them. The host broke the silence. ¡°President Pei, please introduce the new product to everyone.¡± Pei Zhi retracted his gaze from the third row. He looked at the LED screen. ¡°The smart robot Sheng Heng introduced this time is specially designed for old people who live alone and have difficulty moving. Not only does it have the ability to check heartbeat, blood pressure, and so on, but it can also deal with a series of problems in life.¡± After he was done introducing the robot called Xiao Heng, therobot came on stage to greet everyone and let the host test different functions. Its omnipotence shocked everyone present. A reporter asked, ¡°President Pei, what¡¯s the presale price of Xiao Heng? Is it the same as the selling price?¡± ¡°Thirty-six thousand, same.¡± ¡°Is there a discount for disabled people?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pei Zhi ced a hand on the edge of the podium and stood casually. ¡°The first 300 people who have a disability only need to provide a piece of evidence to get the robot for free.¡± Another reporter asked, ¡°Are you worried that it might be copied?¡± ¡°Sheng Heng¡¯s legal department is not to be trifled with.¡± ¡°Then what drove you to do that?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Pei Zhi looked at him indifferently, not wanting to answer such a stupid question. Chapter 155 - 155 Scum and Gentleman 155 Scum and Gentleman The reporter realized that this question was meaningless. He asked another question to hide his stupidity, ¡°How¡¯s Xiao Heng¡¯s bnce? Will it fall?¡± Pei Zhi raised his chin at the screen. ¡°Are you short-sighted? You can¡¯t even see it from this close.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± The reporter received a mocking gaze from his colleague and was too ashamed to even lift up his head. After he sat down, the other reporters asked about many details that were not mentioned on the screen. This included the number of robots that would be sold, the price of repairs outside the warranty period, and the type of sales online and offline. After answering patiently, Pei Zhi looked at the reporters in the front row again. ¡°Any other questions?¡± A female reporter raised her hand. She stared at his middle finger. ¡°I noticed that you¡¯re wearing a ring. Are you engaged?¡± After she mentioned it many people looked at the well-defined left hand. There were even photographers who zoomed their cameras in on it. Pei Zhi subconsciously rubbed the ring. He casually looked at Lin Jiao and smiled. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°You mean you¡¯re in love?¡± ¡°Right.¡± This word from him shattered the fantasies of many women. The reporter seemed to have heard the sound of many hearts breaking. She asked on their behalf, ¡°Can you tell us who she is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not my personal interview today.¡± Pei Zhi did not intend to reveal too much in public. He gave the host a look. ¡°I hope everyone will pay attention to Sheng Heng¡¯s new product.¡± After receiving the message, the host took two steps forward. When he finished speaking, the slender figure disappeared from sight. The media, who was busy reporting, took this opportunity to summarize the report and did not forget to mention Pei Zhi¡¯s rtionship. As for the women, they gossiped with each other. All kinds of voices mixed together, making the surrounding environment even noisier. Not many people even noticed that the host had left the stage. Lin Jiao zipped up her bag and nced at Meng Xi, who was still staring at the empty podium. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Meng Xi was brought back to her senses by this voice. She knew that Lin Jiao was going to eat with someone else, so she did not say anything. ¡°See you in the afternoon.¡± Lin Jiao gave her a smile and left the chair. She left the hotel with Pei Yn and got into the Mercedes-Benz to go to a nearby restaurant. The elegantly decorated private room was filled with sandalwood. The melodious melody brushed past their ears when they sat down. It was not noisy and brought people a sense of peace. ¡°Uncle.¡± While ordering, Pei Yn looked up at Pei Zhi. ¡°You look good wearing sses.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Pei Zhi wrapped his arm around Lin Jiao¡¯s waist and twirled a strand of her long hair around his fingertips. He said calmly, ¡°In what way?¡± ¡°Like thebination of a scum and a gentleman.¡± ¡°Scum?¡± ¡°Not the scum in a bad way.¡± Pei Yn thought about She looked at Lin Jiao for help and lowered her head to swipe her iPad. ¡°You do look good with sses on.¡± Lin Jiao said sincerely. She tickled his palm. ¡°I like it a lot.¡± Chapter 156 - 156 Not Within Your Concern 156 Not Within Your Concern Pei Zhi rested his chin on his hand. ¡°How much do you like it?¡± There was an ambiguous glint in his eyes, but she could not see the meaning behind it through his sses. ¡°Very much.¡± Lin Jiao, who had one foot in a trap, was still unaware. ¡°I can¡¯t like it anymore.¡± She raised her chin to touch his thin lips, and he saw her fair and fragile neck. Pei Zhi really wanted to leave a kiss mark on her face. However, the current situation did not allow it. He caressed her ring with his finger. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wear it as often as possible just for you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not good to wear it outside.¡± ¡°And why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s easy to attract women.¡± Lin Jiao looked into his eyes through the lenses, not hiding her possessiveness. Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll only wear it in front of you.¡± If not for the fact that the ce was not suitable, Pei Yn suspected that they would do something unspeakable right here right now. She raised her hand that was holding the iPad. ¡°Brother Qu and I have done ordering. See if there are any dishes you like.¡± Pei Zhi took it casually. While he scrolled through the pictures of the dishes and chose two main dishes and desserts, Lin Jiao was chatting with them. The food was served a momentter, and the atmosphere in the private room was lively. Their topics changed very quickly, but no matter which one they talked about, they all had endless things to say. ¡°I¡¯ll answer this call first.¡± Qu Shao, who was about to scan the QR code to pay, received a call. He pressed the answer button and heard an inexplicably familiar female voice. ¡°Assistant Qu, do you have time to talk?¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Yao Qianning.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t have time to meet you.¡± ¡°Just talking on the phone will be fine too.¡± Qu Shao looked up at Pei Zhi. He followed them out, his tone not changing much. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°All the media outlets are reporting that he has a girlfriend. Aren¡¯t you going to deal with it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the truth.¡± Yao Qianning suddenly sneered. ¡°Who is she?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who she is. What matters is that this matter is not within your concern.¡± ¡°You mean I have no right to ask?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qu Shao got into the driver¡¯s seat and lowered the volume a few times. ¡°I¡¯m going to drive. Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Put him on the phone.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here.¡± Yao Qianning did not believe it at all. She took a deep puff of her cigarette, trying to suppress the frustration that surged up her throat. ¡°Arrange a time. I want to see him next week.¡± Qu Shao was about to decline when he heard her say, ¡°On behalf of the Yao Corporation, I want to discuss a business with Sheng Heng.¡± ¡°What kind of business?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk in person then.¡± ¡°When exactly do you mean by ¡®then¡¯?¡± Yao Qianning clicked on the mouse and looked at the flight information sent by her assistant. ¡°Tuesday.¡± ¡°Tuesday¡¯s schedule is full.¡± ¡°Then Wednesday.¡± She hung up without giving Qu Shao a chance to refuse. Seeing that he wanted to curse, Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Who called?¡± ¡°A representative of apany.¡± Qu Shao did not mention Yao Qianning¡¯s name. ¡°She wants to discuss business with Sheng Heng.¡± ¡°Did you make an appointment with her?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Pei Zhi did not ask further. After all, there were too manypanies that wanted to discuss business with Sheng Heng. They needed to filter through manyyers to confirm their qualifications. Chapter 157 - 157 There Is No Feeling Between Them 157 There Is No Feeling Between Them After lunch break, Lin Jiao, who had left the CEO¡¯s office, rushed downstairs to start a new round of work. She was busypleting the task given by Zheng Yi, her fingertips moving back and forth on the keyboard. ¡°Let me tell you something.¡± Zhuo Yuan, who was sitting behind her, started gossiping with the surrounding employees. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Pan Jun and Zhao Lan have registered their marriage.¡± !! ¡°So soon?¡± Sun Haoran felt that it hadn¡¯t been long since that incident. ¡°I thought he couldn¡¯t get a divorce.¡± Aly, who was on his right, pursed her lips and said, ¡°Once a man makes up his mind, he will get a divorce no matter what.¡± ¡°I pity his first wife.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhuo Yuan picked up the ss of water. ¡°Pan Jun is really ruthless. He would rather give out more than half of his assets than continue living with her.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me Zhao Lan is pregnant?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°No wonder he¡¯s in a hurry to get remarried.¡± Aly opened the WeChat message sent by the receptionist and walked to Lin Jiao¡¯s side. She lowered her voice. ¡°Someone is looking for you downstairs.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°A Mr. Yan.¡± Lin Jiao frowned in deep thought. She thanked Aly and put down her work to go downstairs to see Mr. Yan. Yan Jingshun, who was sitting on the sofa in the hall, saw her and quickly waved at her. He stared at that unfamiliar and familiar face and felt that she had be prettier after not seeing her for a while. ¡°Lin Jiao, are you still angry?¡± His clear voice was filled with uncertainty. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°It was indeed not my intention to leave without saying goodbyest month. I exined it to you on WeChat, but you didn¡¯t reply.¡± The afternoon after Yan Jingshun booked the concert tickets, he was called to go overseas temporarily. At that time, he was too busy to contact her. Later on, he sent her a WeChat message, but she did not respond to him. Therefore, as soon as he returned to Lin City, he rushed to see her to prevent their rtionship from worsening. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention to it.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s memory did not want to admit that she had a ¡®blind date¡¯ with Yan Jingshun. She automatically ssified him as an ordinary friend. ¡°You don¡¯t have toe over because of this.¡± Her expression did not change, and she did not look angry at all. Yan Jingshun heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Are you free tonight?¡± He stuffed his hands into his jacket pockets. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°I have to spend time with my boyfriend.¡± She lit up her phone screen. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner next time.¡± Hearing the word ¡®boyfriend¡¯, Yan Jingshun couldn¡¯t help but find it unbelievable. He stared at the glowing ring and had to ept it. ¡°When did this happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± Lin Jiao did not understand the emotions in his eyes and did not care. ¡°Is he good to you?¡± ¡°Very good.¡± She rubbed the work pass on her chest and tried to end the conversation. ¡°I still have proposals to finish. I¡¯ll go upstairs first.¡± Yan Jingshun, who was consumed by regret, called her again. He knew that it was toote. Nothing he said could change this situation. He only asked, ¡°Can we still be friends?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve always been friends.¡± ¡°Then can you reply to me on WeChat in the future?¡± Seeing that he cared so much about ¡°replying to WeChat¡±, Lin Jiao could only apologize again for ignoring him. She then replied, ¡°I will.¡± Yan Jingshun felt much better. He crumpled the movie tickets in his pocket and looked at her gently. ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll see you another day.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and said goodbye to him. She found Yan Jingshun on the WeChat list. Not only did she not see his message, but she also realized that he was also blocked. She thought that she had deleted the message and blocked him by mistake. She did not think about it at all and got back to work after unblocking him. ¡°Senior, help me take a look.¡± Before submitting the proposal, Meng Qi sent her a copy. ¡°You just finished editing it today?¡± ¡°No.¡± She moved the chair closer to her. ¡°The one Brother Zheng beat back has been edited.¡± Lin Jiao scrutinized it from beginning to end. When she made some suggestions, Meng Xi was staring at her ring in a daze, as if she was not listening at all. ¡°Did I make myself clear?¡± She looked down and raised an eyebrow. Only then did Meng Qie back to her senses. ¡°Yes, very clear.¡± ¡°Then edit it.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Product content.¡± Lin Jiao pointed out what she needed to edit and did not repeat her suggestion. She then closed the document. ¡°Are you feeling unwell? Why are you out of sorts all day?¡± ¡°No, I was thinking about something.¡± ¡°If you have something urgent to deal with, you can tell Brother Zheng and ask him to approve your leave.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± Meng Qi opened the takeout bag on the table and took out a box of cakes. She picked up the spoon and ate slowly. ¡°Senior, the wedding ring you¡¯re wearing is Cartier¡¯s, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°President Pei is wearing the same one.¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Lin Jiao pretended to be surprised. She lifted the lid of the cup. ¡°I didn¡¯t even notice the ring he was wearing at the press conference.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed hard to see from that far away.¡± ¡°How did you know then?¡± ¡°The media has already exposed it.¡± Meng Qi showed her a close-up photo. Lin Jiao, who was not suspected, was relieved. ¡°Cartier is very popr. It¡¯s no surprise that we have the same one.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Meng Qi fiddled with her bracelet. She swallowed a spoonful of cake. ¡°I heard from a friend that President Pei¡¯s girlfriend was chosen by his family.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. She knew very well that before Pei Zhi made their rtionship public, there would be many spections and rumors, so she could not be bothered to take it to heart. ¡°Does your friend know his family?¡± She took two sips of fruit tea and continued typing. ¡°No, she heard it from someone else too.¡± ¡°The rumors will change after being spread a few more times. What you hear might not be true.¡± ¡°But I think it might really be the case.¡± Meng Qi recalled the scene in the morning again. ¡°When the reporters asked him, he didn¡¯t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°The asion was dedicated to the new products. Personal matters about him shouldn¡¯t be brought up at all.¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t hurt to answer some, right?¡± Lin Jiao found it hard to continue this conversation. She could not understand Meng Qi¡¯s thoughts, nor did she n to argue with her. Meng Qi did not mind not getting a response. She continued, ¡°In my opinion, there is no feeling between them.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Lin Jiao had a guess. She turned to look at Meng Qi, as if she did not want to miss any of her expressions. ¡°Do you like President Pei?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Meng Qi smiled. She did not hide her thoughts. ¡°I¡¯m only interested in his appearance, but that¡¯s it.¡± Hearing that someone was interested in her boyfriend, Lin Jiao feltplicated. She took a deep breath. ¡°You want to chase him?¡± Chapter 158 - 158 Unusually Needy 158 Unusually Needy ¡°How is that possible?¡± Meng Xi¡¯s short hair that hung on her shoulder swayed slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t have the habit of destroying people¡¯s rtionships.¡± Lin Jiao yed with the ballpoint pen on the table. ¡°Then are you going to keep the feeling in your heart?¡± ¡°No.¡± Meng Qi did not like to have a crush. She met Lin Jiao¡¯s gaze. ¡°A rtionship without feelings won¡¯tst long. I can wait.¡± ¡°Waiting for what?¡± ¡°Wait for them to break up.¡± Lin Jiao paused. She grabbed the ballpoint pen and felt an indescribable pain in her heart like someone was clenching it. ¡°They won¡¯t break up.¡± Her voice was filled with certainty and displeasure. ¡°Why? There are very few people in his circle who can be loyal to each other.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just not right to want people to break up.¡± Meng Xi caught the change in her mood. She lowered her eyes slightly. ¡°I know it¡¯s not right, but I can¡¯t help but say it.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t tell me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll only wait two months.¡± She muttered to herself, ¡°If they haven¡¯t broken up, I¡¯ll forget it.¡± Lin Jiao did not respond. She ced her hands on the keyboard, but her frustration was like a that trapped all her thoughts. Under the urging of time, the sun became weaker and weaker. The colleagues who clocked out of work left one by one. The elevator door by the corridor opened and closed. When Lin Jiao arrived at the parking lot, she walked to the A3 and pounced into his arms. She leaned close to his chest. ¡°I miss you so much.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Pei Zhi pinched her chin and raised her face to see her expression. He asked softly, ¡°Who bullied you?¡± ¡°No one.¡± Lin Jiao cupped his cheeks and closed the distance between them. ¡°I just miss you.¡± ¡°Why do you look so sad then?¡± ¡°Do I?¡± Pei Zhi sensed that she was different from usual and was lost in thought, trying to figure out what might have happened. His absent-mindedness made Lin Jiao even more dissatisfied. She pulled his tie down and kissed him. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi whispered into her ear, ¡°If there is anything, don¡¯t keep it to yourself, okay?¡± He pulled out the long hair that had entered her cor. His cold fingers caressed that face, and every touch was filled with gentleness. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to hide.¡± Lin Jiao leaned on his shoulder, as if she wanted to be clued to him. She pursed her lips. ¡°How long will you like me?¡± ¡°That depends on how long I can live.¡± Pei Zhi raised a hand and carried her to sit on his knees. He stared at her side profile. ¡°If I live long enough, I can probably like you for another sixty years.¡± ¡°How can you prove it?¡± ¡°My heart and body can prove it.¡± A smile appeared in Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes. She pointed at his heart and asked, ¡°What if you have a change of heart one day?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s possible.¡± Pei Zhi was afraid that his sses would poke her, so he took them off first. He tapped the tip of her nose. ¡°There is no space in my heart for someone else.¡± Lin Jiao bit his index finger, leaving a series of teeth marks before letting go. ¡°What if you¡¯re tired of me and decided to rece me?¡± Chapter 159 - 159 He Would Love Her with His Heart 159 He Would Love Her with His Heart ¡°I don¡¯t see that ever happening.¡± Pei Zhi turned his head away from her. He leaned over and whispered into her ear, ¡°But even if that really happens, I will not let anyone take your ce in my heart.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His breath brushed past the skin on her neck, making her feel numb and itchy. She stared at her heart that was covered by her shirt and pretended to be very fierce. ¡°Remember what you said.¡± Pei Zhi sucked her earlobe. ¡°I will.¡± A trace of a smile shed across his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll let you feel it slowly.¡± ¡°Feel what?¡± ¡°My loyalty.¡± ¡°I want to feel it at all times.¡± Lin Jiao needed him to give her a sense of security. ¡°Alright.¡± He held the back of her head with his palm. ¡°Can you tell me what happened now?¡± ¡°There are rumors circting that I¡¯m a girlfriend thrust upon you by your family and that there are no feelings between us.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°They think you¡¯ll dump me.¡± Lin Jiao did not mention breaking up at all. Pei Zhi knew that she held back from telling him something even worse. He suppressed his anger and smiled. ¡°They think too highly of me. You¡¯re the only one who can dump me.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t dump you.¡± She met his gaze and looked at him as intently as he did. ¡°It¡¯s not on the letter of guarantee.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll add it tonight.¡± ¡°And record a video of you saying that too.¡± Pei Zhi wanted to use all kinds of methods to keep her by his side. Lin Jiao agreed without hesitation. When they returned home after dinner, she sat at the coffee table like a good student, facing the phone on the stand. She picked up her pen. ¡°It¡¯s starting?¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Pei Zhi adjusted the distance and pointed the camera at the letter of guarantee before asking her to write. ¡°What do you want me to write?¡± ¡°Write what you think you should.¡± Lin Jiao wrote down the sixth use in slow motion. In order to let the camera capture it clearly, she raised the guarantee letter and gave a close-up before reading it from beginning to end. She looked at Pei Zhi, who was looking at her through the camera, with a smile on her face. He smiled. ¡°Who does Lin Jiao like?¡± ¡°I like Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Who is Pei Zhi?¡± ¡°Lin Jiao¡¯s boyfriend.¡± Lin Jiao ced her hands on the coffee table and kissed his lips under the camera. A light kiss was enough to make the atmosphere warm. She muttered, ¡°And Lin Jiao¡¯s future husband.¡± ¡°Will you leave Pei Zhi?¡± ¡°No, no matter what.¡± ¡°What if you go back on your word?¡± Pei Zhi wrapped an arm around her waist and patted her butt. His actions made Lin Jiao blush. She met his dangerous eyes and her cheeks started to burn. ¡°You hit me.¡± ¡°You want me to hit you?¡± ¡°No, I said you hit me just now.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Pei Zhi spanked her again, making her lower her head in embarrassment. He pulled her to his side and sat on the carpet with his knees bent. ¡°You haven¡¯t answered me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± She just felt embarrassed. ¡°Thest question.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡± Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t think of anything for a moment, so she let him make the decision. At the thought that he could do whatever to her, Pei Zhi had some thoughts he shouldn¡¯t have. He brushed aside the long hair on her face. After suppressing the thought that was about to shatter his rationality, he swallowed his saliva. ¡°You said it yourself.¡± Chapter 160 - 160 As Long as You’re Around, No Matter Where We Go 160 As Long as You¡¯re Around, No Matter Where We Go ¡°What do you want to do to me?¡± Out of curiosity, Lin Jiao swayed her hips and leaned into his arms. ¡°Don¡¯t move your butt.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just finding afortable position.¡± Pei Zhi, who was used as a cushion, shook his head helplessly. He held her waist tightly and touched her face. ¡°I want to make you cry.¡± !! ¡°Can you bear to?¡± ¡°It depends when.¡± Lin Jiao seemed to understand. The movie she had seen shed across her mind, and her face turned red. Seeing that she was so shy that her eyshes were fluttering, Pei Zhi was especially curious about what was on her mind. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Lin Jiao turned off the phone that was recording. She returned to his arms and yed with the sleeve out of habit. ¡°There are still four days until my period.¡± ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s memory of menstrual period was not good, so he suddenly tensed up. He ced his palm on her stomach and was about to ask when she said, ¡°No.¡± She seemed to be forming her words. ¡°The first few days before and after periods are safe.¡± ¡°And then?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to wait until that day to punish me.¡± Pei Zhi suddenly smiled. He pressed his forehead against hers meaningfully. ¡°Do you think I have that much patience to wait until that day?¡± ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± ¡°If you go back on your word.¡± He deliberately paused. ¡°I¡¯ll make you cry even harder than usual.¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t cried yet.¡± ¡°Do you want to cry so much?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to?¡± Lin Jiao red at him and buried her head in his neck shyly. The more she acted like this, the more Pei Zhi wanted to bully her. ¡°I do want to.¡± He rubbed the soft flesh of her waist through her knitted shirt. ¡°But not now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s still a blood clot on the back of your head. Shen Yi said that it¡¯s more suitable for you to exercise after you recover.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so before?¡± Lin Jiao did not know that the blood clot would have such a huge impact. ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it? Maybe I forgot.¡± ¡°Then how long will it take me to recover?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll know when the checkup results are out.¡± Pei Zhi leaned against the sofa and looked at the clock on the wall. He said, ¡°It should be soon.¡± Lin Jiao caught the anticipation in his voice. She touched the ring on her finger and stopped thinking about the blood clot. ¡°If you feel ufortable, I can help you.¡± ¡°Help me?¡± ¡°Yes, like you know.¡± Pei Zhi narrowed his eyes. He bent his fingertips and pinched her soft cheek. ¡°Where did you learn it?¡± ¡°In the movie.¡± ¡°How many movies have you seen?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at him and then looked away. ¡°Not many.¡± Pei Zhi picked up the phone beside him. He opened the cloud disk that he had never paid attention to and found a few movies of that kind. ¡°Five is indeed very few.¡± He scrolled down, his eyes darkening. ¡°Do you likeics more?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen half of them.¡± Lin Jiao snatched the phone away in embarrassment and threw it aside. She said seriously, ¡°I saved them out of habit.¡± Pei Zhi stared at that beautiful face. He suddenly carried her to the sofa, stood up, walked to the window, and took out a cigarette from the cigarette box. The roller of the lighter made a faint sound as the me burned the cigarette butt, causing the fragrance of cypress to mix with the smell of smoke. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to watch it without my permission in the future.¡± He looked over through the smoke, his expression unreadable. Lin Jiao nodded without replying. She held the ss with both hands. When she was drinking water, she nced at him from the corner of her eye. ¡°Then should I delete them?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need to delete them.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll watch it secretly?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi said with a faint smile, ¡°I can see when youst watched it. You¡¯d better not let me catch you red-handed.¡± Lin Jiao did not n to dance on the tip of a knife. She yed the Korean drama that she had yet to finish watching. A romantic melody came from the speaker, quietly calming Pei Zhi down. He hugged her waist andy on the sofa, enjoying an ordinary and warm night. # In the blink of an eye, it was Friday. A few low-key cars were parked at the entrance of Xuan Shang Club on Peach Brook Street. The waiter led the guests past a koi pond and to the sixth floor. There were only two private rooms on the sixth floor. The private rooms hadplete entertainment facilities. In addition to the dining room, the open garden, and the pool hall, there was also a row of game consoles and karaoke equipment. There were all kinds of flowers nted in the garden. As soon as one approached it, a breeze that carried a faint fragrance would brush past their nose, making them feel refreshed. Jiang Ye sat at the long table with white candles. He leaned forward slightly and handed Pei Zhi a cigarette. ¡°Uncle, what do you want to drink?¡± ¡°Red wine.¡± Seeing that his hand was trembling, Pei Zhi said casually, ¡°When will you join the production team?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Jiang Ye poured a ss for Lin Jiao. ¡°The audition is next Friday.¡± ¡°What type?¡± ¡°Suspense.¡± He sat back down and held Pei Yn¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s a movie this time. The filming period is not long.¡± ¡°Can you be free during the new year?¡± Pei Zhi took a sip of red wine. ¡°My father wants to see you.¡± Jiang Ye was slightly stunned. ¡°Yes.¡± He continued, ¡°I¡¯ll take a break until February next year after the filming is over.¡± ¡°That long?¡± ¡°There are very few resources recently. Coupled with the fact that I just entered Star River, I still need to prove myself.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go out for the new year together?¡± Lin Jiao had always nned to go on a group trip, so she took this opportunity to ask. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡± She looked up at the ss door. ¡°I¡¯ll discuss it when they get here.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye was fine with anything. He put his arm around Pei Yn and whispered into her ear, ¡°Where do you want to go the most?¡± ¡°As long as you¡¯re around, I don¡¯t mind where we are going.¡± Pei Yn looked up at him and smiled in satisfaction. She did not hide her love and joy. It was like a warm current that gently flowed through Jiang Ye¡¯s heart. He kissed her forehead. ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who had been fed dog food the moment he entered, couldn¡¯t stand their lovey-dovey interaction. He pulled out the chair beside Jiang Ye and looked around the garden. ¡°Where¡¯s Qian Yue?¡± ¡°Still on the way.¡± ¡°Have you made any progress?¡± Qu Shao asked. ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Your progress is abnormally slow this time.¡± ¡°I have no choice.¡± Zhou Yanshen clinked sses with them before continuing, ¡°She¡¯s very busy this week.¡± He wanted to make progress, but unfortunately, he could not even meet her. ¡°Then do you usually talk on the phone?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn, who knew the truth, looked at him seriously. ¡°I think you should spend more time on her.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°First of all, give her more of your time. Even if you have nothing to say, you can make a few calls.¡± Zhou Yanshen rested his chin on his hand. ¡°What else?¡± Chapter 161 - 161 Beyond Ordinary Friends 161 Beyond Ordinary Friends ¡°If she doesn¡¯t have time to meet you, you can send flowers and lunch to the hospital.¡± ¡°Personally?¡± Pei Yn drank the champagne Jiang Ye handed her and frowned. ¡°Otherwise, do you still want the delivery man to send it?¡± Zhou Yanshen actually thought so. In the past, he only needed to wave at those women and they woulde. He never needed to do anything himself. ¡°I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Perhaps driven by curiosity, he was not averse to treating her in another way. ¡°If you want to be serious this time, then be serious.¡± Pei Zhi looked into his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be like before.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Your girlfriend is here.¡± Qu Shao saw Qian Yue and turned around to remind Zhou Yanshen. Hearing footsteps approaching, Zhou Yanshen pulled out the chair on the left and looked in her direction. When their gazes met, Qian Yue gave him a gentle smile. She took the wine ss from him and drank with the rest of them before talking about the interesting things that had happened recently. ¡°How many surgeries did you do today?¡± Zhou Yanshen leaned to the left and stared at her side profile. ¡°Two.¡± ¡°Did they take long?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Qian Yue smelt alcohol on his breath and couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart race. Her expression did not change. ¡°Average two hours for each.¡± ¡°Is two hours considered a big surgery?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no difference between big and small. There¡¯s only a difference between high and low risk.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhou Yanshen smiled. He smiled roguishly, and his unique charm was revealed in a second. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about surgeries.¡± Qian Yue just wanted to say that he broke the rules. ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡± She swirled the red wine ss and suppressed the urge to kiss him. ¡°What did you major in in university?¡± ¡°Finance.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in the finance field then?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± Zhou Yanshen lit a cigarette. ¡°Learning finance was what my parents wanted me to do.¡± Qian Yue could guess that ¡®Star River¡¯ was his dream. She clinked sses with Zhou Yanshen. As it was not appropriate for them to only talk to each other, they joined the conversation with the rest of the people. The lively atmospherested until Chu Yuzhou appeared. He cursed as he walked into the dining room, ¡°Bo Yu was shut downst night because of two bastards!¡± Zhou Yanshen frowned when he heard that. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°They were arrested by inclothes police officers when they were ying something in the private room. Then, they asked me to close down my business.¡± ¡°What kind of things?¡± ¡°Marijuana.¡± Chu Yuzhou was furious. ¡°This is the first time people had the ball to do that in Bo Yu Club.¡± Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. ¡°Did someone instruct them to do it?¡± ¡°No.¡± He drank half of his ss. ¡°But they were brought in by a friend of Song Zhen¡¯s.¡± ¡°Song Zhen?!¡± Pei Yn was shocked. She observed Lin Jiao¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°Was he also at Bo Yust night?¡± ¡°At first, he was there. When the two bastards started having fun, he left with the girls.¡± ¡°And when did inclothes officers arrive?¡± ¡°About half an hour after he left.¡± Jiang Ye, who had read many scripts, had a guess. ¡°Is it possible that he reported it to the police?¡± ¡°It¡¯s very likely.¡± Zhou Yanshen had the same guess as him. ¡°Song Zhen left at a very good time.¡± ¡°So you mean he has a grudge against those two and is deliberately using this trick to put them behind the bars?¡± ¡°Yes, you can check again.¡± ¡°Song Zhen is quite good at finding ces to set up his trap.¡± Qu Shao was certain that he was the one who did it. He clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid of offending you?¡± Chu Yuzhou took out his phone and sent a WeChat message. He sneered. ¡°He¡¯s Master Song. Why would he care about a small fry like me?¡± ¡°He is no freaking master!¡± ¡°Why not? He¡¯s rich and handsome. Hisckeys have infiltrated every corner of Lin City.¡± ¡°F*ck him!¡± Qu Shao had never seen someone so arrogant. ¡°He¡¯ll fall to his death sooner orter.¡± The more Lin Jiao listened, the more puzzled she became. She bit the tip of her chopsticks. ¡°Is the Song Zhen you¡¯re talking about the Song Zhen I know?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Why do I feel that it¡¯s a different person?¡± ¡°How is it different?¡± Pei Zhi was very curious about her impression of Song Zhen. ¡°He keeps a low profile and has a simple private life.¡± ¡°Simple?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s impression of him was indeed that. ¡°He rarely changes girlfriends and doesn¡¯t mess around with the women in the club.¡± ¡°He¡¯s so good at pretending.¡± Chu Yuzhou did not expect him to have two faces. Pei Yn did not expect this either. She swallowed the food in her mouth. ¡°Although I rarely hang out with them, he does give me a much better feeling than He Qi.¡± ¡°He¡¯s too good at pretending.¡± Shen Yi felt disgusted at the thought of what he saw in the surveince footagest time. He picked up the cigarette box on the table. ¡°He¡¯s been pretending all these years, but none of you noticed it. I think he deserves to be the Oscar best actor.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all he can do, pretending and lying.¡± ¡°As expected, you can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡± Zhou Yanshen could not understand. ¡°Isn¡¯t he tired of pretending in front of everyone?¡± ¡°Not everyone.¡± Qian Yue suddenly remembered the first time she saw Song Zhen. ¡°I think he only pretends in front of us.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because of Jiaojiao.¡± ¡°That bastard likes Jiaojiaor?¡± Chu Yuzhou¡¯s face was filled with disdain. ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but he definitely has a good impression of me.¡± ¡°Did he tell you that?¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Qian Yue wiped her lips. ¡°The degree of concern and care he shows towards Jiaojiao exceeds that of an ordinary friend.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice?¡± Pei Yn was shocked again. ¡°His affection for Jiaojiao is very short-lived. When I saw himst year, he was no longer interested in her.¡± ¡°Then why is he still pretending?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just used to pretending.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very difficult to take off a mask after wearing it for too long.¡± Jiang Ye had seen too many simr people in the entertainment industry. He put food into Pei Yn¡¯s bowl. ¡°It¡¯s like building a persona. Over time, it¡¯s very easy to forget who you really are.¡± Zhou Yanshen nodded. ¡°Indeed.¡± He looked at Chu Yuzhou again. ¡°How long will Bo Yu be closed for business?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡± ¡°Take this as a lesson.¡± Shen Yiforted him gently. ¡°Be careful in the future. Don¡¯t get caught again.¡± Chu Yuzhou lit the cigar. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± It was impossible for him to fall in the same ce twice. ¡°How do you n to deal with them?¡± Qu Shao drank thest mouthful of soup before putting down his chopsticks. ¡°They¡¯ll have topensate and get beaten up.¡± ¡°Including that bastard?¡± Chapter 162 - 162 Taking Advantage 162 Taking Advantage ¡°Of course.¡± Chu Yuzhou was not the type to suffer in silence. ¡°None of them can escape unscathed.¡± Qu Shao then mmed the table. ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll help you teach him a lesson!¡± ¡°No problem!¡± Chu Yuzhou raised his ss and drank with them. After everyone ate their fill, the stars shone brightly through the ss corridor. Several ovepping figures stepped into the karaoke hall and officially started their nightlife. At the thought of the group trip, Zhou Yanshen took the microphone from Chu Yuzhou and walked to the front. His gazended on Qian Yue and Shen Yi. ¡°Are the two doctors on duty during the new year?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Shen Yi reminded her. ¡°It¡¯s not your turn to be on duty this year.¡± Qian Yue suddenly remembered that new doctors would only be required to be on duty from the third year onward. She swallowed the watermelon in her mouth and turned around to ask, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t either.¡± Hearing that they were all free, Zhou Yanshen, who wanted to use this trip to get close to Qian Yue, was finally relieved. He sat down and asked, ¡°Where do you want to go?¡± ¡°Anywhere is fine.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± ¡°Prague or Sydney.¡± They were all talking about different ces. It was really difficult to make the call. For the sake of fairness, Lin Jiao picked up an empty wine bottle and ced it on the coffee table. ¡°Whoever the bottle aims at will draw lots.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll write it down first.¡± Chu Yuzhou, who was especially enthusiastic, asked the waiter for a pen and paper and wrote down the different destinations. ¡°Who¡¯s going to spin the wine bottle?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s y a game. The winner will spin it.¡± After a short game, the winner, Zhou Yanshen, sat at the long table and spun the bottle in his palm clockwise. The spinning wine bottle made a faint sound. It circled on the table twice before it slowly stopped, aiming at Jiang Ye. ¡°Take whatever you want.¡± Shen Yi pushed the crumpled paper ball in front of him, looking forward to the result. Jiang Ye grabbed one based on his instincts. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, he opened the paper ball and said, ¡°Italy.¡± ¡°Have any of you been there?¡± Pei Yn took out a piece of paper and wiped the wine stain off the table. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I passed by once. Does it count?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Hearing that they had never been there, Chu Yuzhou became even more excited. ¡°When do we leave?¡± ¡°On the third or fourth day after the new year?¡± ¡°On the third day then.¡± It only took them only a matter of minutes to settle the destination and the date of departure. ¡°President Pei.¡± Shen Yi stared at the man opposite him and smiled maliciously. ¡°Are you going to cover our expenses this time?¡± Zhou Yanshen and Chu Yuzhou instantly understood what he meant. The former raised an eyebrow. ¡°We¡¯ve been brothers for so many years. It¡¯s not too much to ask you to cover the expenses, right?¡± This was not the first time Pei Zhi had seen them doing that. He pointed at the three bottles of beer on the table. ¡°One for each of you. After downing it, every expense on this trip will be on me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Zhou Yanshen downed it first. He nced sideways at the others. ¡°You can send your ID numbers to Qu Shao now.¡± Worried that Qian Yue and Jiang Ye would be embarrassed, Shen Yi whispered, ¡°It¡¯s rare for President Pei to be so generous. We have to take advantage of him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qu Shao crossed his legs and grinned. ¡°Only a fool doesn¡¯t take advantage of others.¡± Chapter 163 - 163 Push Him Down When He Was Not Paying Attention 163 Push Him Down When He Was Not Paying Attention Jiang Ye felt at ease in an environment where people were sincere to each other. He sent a string of numbers to Qu Shao. ¡°Brother Qu, are you going to book a flight now?¡± ¡°No.¡± He raised his head. ¡°There are so many people anyway. We¡¯ll take a private ne there.¡± ¡°Uncle has a private ne?¡± ¡°No, but his cooperation partner has one.¡± Pei Zhi nced at him. ¡°You sure know how to make arrangements.¡± His voice was filled withughter, but it sounded more like he was teasing him. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never been on a private ne before.¡± Pei Yn really wanted to experience it. ¡°Will his cooperation partner provide us a captain too?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they will.¡± ¡°Ask Shen Yi to find a captain.¡± Chu Yuzhou raised his chin at Shen Yi. ¡°He knows many people. It won¡¯t be a problem to find ten.¡± Qu Shao turned around and discussed with Shen Yi. They chatted about the trip for a long time before ying all kinds of drinking games under Zhou Yanshen¡¯s lead. The number of empty wine bottles piled in the corner gradually increased. The strong smell of alcohol that filled the karaoke room floated towards the gaming hall as they moved ces. It was very easy to get drunk by changing ces to drink different wines, but there were two types of behaviors when people were drunk. They were either more excited or more tired. Lin Jiao, who was tired, nestled in Pei Zhi¡¯s arms and narrowed her eyes to look at her surroundings. She yed with his watch. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± Pei Zhi fed her two sips of water. He adjusted her coat and gently pushed a few strands of long hair behind her ear. ¡°Jiaojiao, let¡¯s go home first, okay?¡± Understanding what he meant, Lin Jiao nodded and then shook her head. She leaned forward and grabbed Pei Yn¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I want to talk to Yn.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s talk as we walk.¡± Pei Zhi bid goodbye to the others and carried the two drunkards out with Jiang Ye. ¡°Jiaojiao, you have stars in your ears.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Pei Yn pointed at her earrings. Her breathnded on the back of Jiang Ye¡¯s neck, making him feel itchy. ¡°Get Uncle to help you take it off.¡± Lin Jiao hugged Pei Zhi¡¯s neck tightly. ¡°No.¡± She suddenly lowered her voice. ¡°Are you going to sleep with Jiang Ye tonight?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then be careful.¡± She patted Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder and said incoherently, ¡°He found out that I crawled into his bed.¡± ¡°Did he kick you out of bed?¡± ¡°No, but he doesn¡¯t shower with me.¡± ¡°Go in quietly.¡± Pei Yn raised her chin and suggested, ¡°Push him down when he¡¯s not paying attention.¡± ¡°Can you push Jiang Ye down?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to move at all.¡± Jiang Ye, who was treated as an invisible person, coughed twice. He shook off the images that urred in his mind and tried to divert her attention. ¡°Yn, do you want to sleep for a while?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to sleep with me?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± They were not even living together, so there was no question of whether he wanted to sleep with her or not. ¡°Close your eyes first. I¡¯ll call you when we get there.¡± His gentleness made Pei Yn stop making a fuss. Pei Zhi also coaxed Lin Jiao to calm down. ¡°Jiang Ye, are you bringing her back to Ming Xin Mansion?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Ye was going to call Pei Qishengter on. He said goodbye to Pei Zhi. ¡°Uncle, be careful on the way.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi asked him to send a WeChat message when he got home. He carried Lin Jiao into the back seat and drove slowly back to Red Maple Forest. Chapter 164 - 164 Date 164 Date Tongji Hospital. After a series of checkups, Lin Jiao followed Pei Zhi to the office to wait for the results. ¡°Shen Yi.¡± She sat on the sofa facing the sun and looked up at him. ¡°Do you usually work overtime?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Shen Yi refilled their teacups. ¡°My time is flexible. I don¡¯t have toe if there¡¯s no surgery.¡± ¡°Then how many do you have today?¡± ¡°One.¡± Pei Zhi took the teacup and took two sips. He opened the cigarette box and threw a cigarette in Shen Yi¡¯s direction. ¡°When did you go back homest night?¡± ¡°About three or four.¡± Shen Yi smoothed out the wrinkles on his white coat. ¡°Yuzhou and Qu Shao threw up twice.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Yanshen?¡± ¡°He left early with Qian Yue.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s curiosity was piqued when she heard that they bumped into Xia Nanrui. ¡°Did she say anything when she saw Chu Yuzhou?¡± ¡°She was with another man at that time.¡± Shen Yi ced a hand on the edge of the sofa. ¡°She¡¯s dating again so soon?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like a serious date.¡± He briefly described what he saw. ¡°It¡¯s probably two people getting what they want from each other.¡± ¡°How did Chu Yuzhou feel?¡± ¡°He said he wanted to throw up.¡± Lin Jiao could imagine the expression on his face. After chatting with Shen Yi about what happenedst night, she was distracted by Qian Yue who suddenly appeared. ¡°Are you working overtime today too?¡± ¡°No, I came to get something.¡± Qian Yue sat down beside her. ¡°Are the results of your checkup out?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± About fifteen minutester, he came back with the report and carefully read it. ¡°How is the injury on her back?¡± Pei Zhi tapped his knee anxiously, eager to get the answer he wanted. ¡°She¡¯s recovering quite well.¡± Shen Yi met his long and narrow eyes. ¡°But there¡¯s still some blood clots.¡± ¡°How long will it take to remove them?¡± ¡°ording to the current situation, it¡¯ll be all gone by the end of next month.¡± Pei Zhi rxed. He held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand tightly, looking forward to the next month. ¡°How will she react after the blood clot is gone?¡± Shen Yi understood that he meant what would happen after her memory became normal. ¡°She might have a headache, or she might not have a reaction at all.¡± ¡°How bad will the headache be?¡± ¡°Slightly.¡± He put down the report and said seriously, ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Fully.¡± ¡°Ready for what?¡± Lin Jiao looked at Pei Zhi in confusion, not understanding what they were talking about. Pei Zhi leaned over and whispered into her ear, ¡°Exercise.¡± His breath was like mes that brushed past Lin Jiao¡¯s skin. She pinched his waist. ¡°Mind your words.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t hear us.¡± Pei Zhi felt the itch on his waist and stopped teasing her. He chatted with them in a good mood. When Shen Yi was about to undergo surgery, they left the office with the report. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Lin Jiao stopped at the door and turned to look at her. ¡°Where are you going? We can drop you off.¡± ¡°No need. He¡¯sing to pick me up.¡± ¡°Are you two going on a date now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Qian Yue pushed aside the long chestnut hair on her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you girls about it tonight.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait for your good news.¡± She held Pei Zhi¡¯s hand and said goodbye to her before disappearing from the car. Not long after they left, a modified gray Porsche stopped at the entrance of the hospital. After Qian Yue got in the car, Zhou Yanshen stepped on the elerator and headed straight to the bowling alley to start the date. There were many people who came to bowl this weekend. The waiter led them to the reservedne before serving them wrist guards and tea. ¡°I¡¯ll help you put it on.¡± Zhou Yanshen lowered his head and gently put the wrist guard on her wrist. The ear stud on his right ear reflected a faint light under the light, quietly disturbing her calm eyes. Qian Yue¡¯s gazended on the side of his face for two seconds. When the smell of tobo on him was far from her nose, she regained her usualposure. ¡°Do youe here often?¡± ¡°Sometimes.¡± The reason he chose the bowling alley was because she had never yed it before. He wanted to use this opportunity to get close to her. Zhou Yanshen ced his right hand on the watch strap. He took off his watch and handed it to her. ¡°Can you keep it for me?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qian Yue put the watch into her bag. ¡°Why don¡¯t you demonstrate first?¡± Zhou Yanshen picked up a 12-pound ball. He bent down slightly and waved his right arm back. He repeated it a few times and aimed at the bowling pins in the distance. With a soft rolling sound, the blue ball rolled towards the bowling pins and knocked down the ten pins that were arranged in an inverted triangle. STRIKE shed on the screen. He instantly attracted the attention of the bowlers in the hall. The three girls sitting nearby also started discussing. ¡°Ahhh, he¡¯s really handsome!¡± ¡°He looks like a bad boy. One look and you can tell that he¡¯s not to be trifled with.¡± Qian Yue, who had identally overheard their conversation, looked at Zhou Yanshen. She had to admit that he was indeed mesmerizing. She pulled herself back from her thoughts and looked at him with admiration. ¡°Are you sure you only came here asionally? Why are you so good at it?¡± Zhou Yanshen was mesmerized by her gaze. ¡°It¡¯s just luck.¡± He held her hand casually. ¡°What color do you like?¡± ¡°ck.¡± ¡°Then try nine pounds first.¡± Qian Yue took the bowling ball from him. She adjusted her posture at his instruction. ¡°Don¡¯tugh at me if I miss.¡± Zhou Yanshen chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± He bent down to maintain the same height as her. ¡°Pay attention to your bnce. Don¡¯t use too much strength.¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Swing your arm back and forth five times before throwing the ball.¡± Qian Yue did as he said. She focused on throwing it forward and looked at the ck ball rolling diagonally towards the pins. ¡°Mr. Zhou, it seems to have stopped.¡± Seeing that the ball had stopped in front of the pins, Zhou Yanshen retracted his gaze and got another ball for her. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He stood behind her and taught her how to adjust her posture. ¡°Bend a little more.¡± Qian Yue lowered her eyes and nced at the palm on her forearm. Her lips curled up slightly. She bent down further. ¡°Can you throw the ball with me? I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to control my strength.¡± Zhou Yanshen naturally would not refuse. He brushed his chin against her shoulder and inadvertently closed the distance. ¡°Remember this angle.¡± When Qian Yue heard his voice entering her ear, she felt an itch. She tilted her head and closed her eyes. ¡°Mr. Zhou, can we knock the pins down this time?¡± ¡°We sure can.¡± Zhou Yanshen swallowed hard. He looked down at the woman in his arms and was moved by her dependence and trust in him. ¡°I¡¯m sure one or two will be no problem.¡± Chapter 165 - 165 Unlike Other Women 165 Unlike Other Women ¡°I think I heard something.¡± She tugged at his shirt and urged gently, ¡°Hurry up and take a look.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked up. ¡°Three.¡± He patted her back. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you through it twice more.¡± Qian Yue picked the ball. She learned very slowly. She first let him walk her through it twice, then take the initiative to do it herself. After showing her how it was done three times, he let go of her waist and reduced the frequency of contact. ¡°Qian Yue, are you tired?¡± Seeing that the clock on the wall was pointing to four, he put down the ball first. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Come and rest.¡± Qian Yue sat at the square table with him. She picked up the teacup that was emitting steam. The mist covered her eyes, making her look mysterious and gentle. ¡°Mr. Zhou.¡± She swallowed two mouthfuls of fruit tea. ¡°Other than bowling, what else do you like to do?¡± ¡°A lot.¡± Zhou Yanshen leaned back in his chair and said casually, ¡°For example, golf, rock climbing, and archery.¡± ¡°So versatile?¡± ¡°Not bad. I can¡¯tpare myself to a pro yer. That¡¯s for sure.¡± Qian Yue ced her elbow on the table. ¡°Pro yers are taught by famous coaches. You naturally can¡¯tpare to them.¡± She was not like other women who praised him in order to please him. Instead, she wanted to tell him the truth. Zhou Yanshen admired her sincerity. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± He rubbed his wrist guard and smiled even wider. ¡°I¡¯ll take you rock climbing next week. How about that?¡± ¡°What day next week?¡± ¡°It depends on your schedule.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick a time and tell you.¡± Qian Yue wanted him to keep thinking about her and was not in a hurry to agree. She swiped open her phone and replied to two WeChat messages. While it was still early, she went to y two more rounds of bowling with him. It was easy to get closer to each other by doing the same thing. When they left the bowling alley and went to a nearby restaurant, they talked much more enthusiastically than when they first met in the afternoon. The Chinese restaurant Zhou Yanshen chose had an elegant environment. The mahogany screen across the dining table and thenterns hanging on all sides gave off an antique feeling. He stopped in front of the second-tost screen by the window and pulled out a chair for her gentlemanly. ¡°There are no private rooms in this restaurant. We can only sit here.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Qian Yue looked around. ¡°Their renovation is not bad. I rarely see one with a simr style.¡± He walked around to the opposite side, picked up the iPad, and handed it to her. ¡°Their dishes are even better.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you rmend two first?¡± ¡°I usually order pork trotters with ck pepper, crab spring rolls, and roast duck with caviar.¡± Qian Yue found the dishes he mentioned from the signature dishes. After cing the order, she asked him, ¡°Are the lychee shrimp balls delicious?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao said it¡¯s delicious.¡± Zhou Yanshen took off his jacket. ¡°Try ordering one.¡± Qian Yue put down the Ipad. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Yanshen.¡± A beautiful woman walked over and interrupted Qian Yue from continuing. Qiao Rou sat down beside Zhou Yanshen, her clear voice filled with affection. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± She was Zhou Yanshen¡¯s ex-girlfriend and was with him even longer than Du Wei, but the reason for breaking up was the same. He got sick of her too quickly. ¡°You¡¯re not filming?¡± Zhou Yanshen¡¯s expression was calm. He looked at her as if he was looking at an employee. ¡°I just finished filming.¡± Qiao Rou seemed to have just noticed Qian Yue and asked with a smile, ¡°Are you a new actress at Star River?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very beautiful.¡± After praising her, she reached out to Qian Yue. ¡°My name is Qiao Rou, Yanshen¡¯s ex-girlfriend.¡± ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Qian Yue shook her hand politely. She ignored Qiao Rou and started talking about unfinished topics. ¡°Do youe over with Jiaojiao often?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Zhou Yanshen took two sips of lemonade. ¡°She prefers to eat with me in the cafeteria.¡± ¡°Star River¡¯s cafeteria?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He met Qian Yue¡¯s gaze. ¡°The food in the cafeteria is more to her liking.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Qiao Rou turned to look at Zhou Yanshen. ¡°Jiaojiao seems to like braised pork the most?¡± ¡°Pork ribs.¡± ¡°Then I remembered it wrongly.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to apany your friend?¡± Zhou Yanshen raised his chin in the direction she wasing from, feeling very annoyed. ¡°I want to be with you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± His coldness made Qiao Rou pout. She deliberately pretended to be aggrieved. ¡°Then I¡¯lle and find you in a few days.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°You know what I mean.¡± Zhou Yanshen did not understand what she was up to, but Qian Yue, who was watching, understood it clearly. She suppressed the emotions in her eyes and did not pay attention to Qiao Rou, who was walking away. ¡°How long did itst?¡± ¡°About a month?¡± Zhou Yanshen did not have a good memory in this aspect. ¡°You two just broke up a while ago?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seeing that she was expressionless, he was slightly relieved. ¡°It happened in the first half of the year.¡± Qian Yue teased, ¡°She still has feelings for you.¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Zhou Yanshen did not believe that she would still miss him after breaking up. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not in contact.¡± He tapped on the screen of his phone. ¡°I don¡¯t have an ex-girlfriend on WeChat either.¡± Just like Qian Yue, he did not like to keep the contact details of his old lovers, let alone have anything to do with them. She stared at the delicacies the waiter brought to the table. ¡°What will you do if shees to you again?¡± ¡°If she knows what¡¯s good for her, she won¡¯te to me.¡± Zhou Yanshen restrained himself and did not say anything too harsh. His clear attitude made Qian Yue stop asking. She reached out her chopsticks to pick up a piece of pork trotter, but he grabbed her wrist. ¡°This is very hot.¡± Zhou Yanshen picked up a few pieces for her and ced them in a porcin bowl before pushing the lychee shrimp ball forward. ¡°Thank you.¡± Qian Yue enjoyed his thoughtfulness and smiled. ¡°Mr. Zhou, pass me the tissue.¡± Zhou Yanshen handed it to her. From the frequency at which she picked up food, he found her favorite dish and made a mental note of it. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± He put down his chopsticks and pointed at the television tower in the distance. ¡°There¡¯s a fireworks show tonight. Do you want to watch it?¡± Qian Yue really wanted to. However, she knew what it meant to do things step by step. She did not n to do much with him in a day. ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She covered her mouth and yawned. ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night after drinking so much.¡± Zhou Yanshen suddenly realized how inconsiderate he was. ¡°Then we¡¯ll see another day.¡± He called the waiter to pay the bill and looked at her gently. ¡°The fireworks show is avable every week anyway.¡± Qian Yue stood up. ¡°Ok.¡± Before she left, she looked out expectantly and muttered, ¡°We¡¯ll definitely watch it another day.¡± Hearing her mutter, Zhou Yanshen smiled and rubbed the top of her head. They walked out of the restaurant against the setting sun and let the day end as night fell. Chapter 166 - 166 Yao Qianning’s Hostility 166 Yao Qianning¡¯s Hostility At Sheng Heng Corporation. Yao Qianning, who was standing at the front desk of the hall, pushed up the sunsses on her nose. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been five minutes.¡± !! ¡°Because it¡¯s lunch break now. Assistant Qu might not be in the office. I¡¯ll help you ask around.¡± The receptionist¡¯s attitude was wless. Yao Qianning suppressed her impatience and continued to wait with a frown. After another five minutes, she finally got through to the assistant¡¯s office. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting. This way, please.¡± Yao Qianning turned around and walked into the elevator to the top floor alone. She stared in the direction of the CEO¡¯s office and was stopped by Qu Shao who suddenly appeared. ¡°Miss Yao, the boss is still taking an afternoon nap.¡± ¡°It¡¯s half past one now.¡± Yao Qianning raised her right hand slightly and pointed at the watch on her wrist for him to see. ¡°We don¡¯t start work until two o¡¯clock.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Assistant Qu, thest time I came to Sheng Heng was also at this time.¡± ¡°That wasst time.¡± Qu Shao stood at the door of the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°I have no reason to lie to you.¡± Yao Qianning did not believe him. Afraid that she would not be able to see Pei Zhi today, she knocked on the door twice when Qu Shao was not paying attention. Qu Shao quickly grabbed her wrist. ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for you to do this.¡± ¡°Let go!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He retracted his hand, and the smile on his face disappeared. ¡°Please move to the assistant¡¯s office.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t?¡± Yao Qianning raised her chin, as if she would not stop until she saw Pei Zhi. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to call the security.¡± ¡°You can try.¡± Just as they were in a deadlock, Pei Zhi opened the door impatiently. ¡°What is themotion about?¡± As soon as he appeared, Yao Qianning¡¯s attitude changed. She took off her sunsses and revealed her beautiful face. ¡°Qu Shao insisted on telling me that you were resting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m indeed resting.¡± ¡°Really? I thought you wouldn¡¯t take an afternoon nap.¡± Pei Zhi looked at Qu Shao, who was secretly rolling his eyes, and gestured for them toe in together so that they would not bicker again. He threw a cigarette to Qu Shao and pulled out the chair behind the desk to sit down. ¡°What do you want?¡± Yao Qianning stared at his face and fell into deep thought. At the end of the year beforest, she returned from studying in Ennd and met Pei Zhi for the first time at her father¡¯s birthday party. At that time, he was especially dazzling. The women who were invited to the banquet were all looking at him and discussing him, including her. She originally thought that with her father¡¯s rtionship with Pei Zhi, marrying him wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Unexpectedly, she was suddenly told that he was in a rtionship. ¡°Miss Yao.¡± Qu Shao received a look from Pei Zhi and knocked on the table. ¡°Boss is talking to you.¡± Yao Qianning came back to her senses. She looked down at the ss he was holding. ¡°Why is there a lipstick mark on it?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have noticed if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it.¡± ¡°Who did it?¡± ¡°My girlfriend.¡± Pei Zhi took two sips on the spot stained with lipstick. When he said ¡°girlfriend¡±, his voice was extremely gentle, but it dealt a huge blow to Yao Qianning. She clenched her sunsses and started talking to him about serious matters in order to control her emotions. ¡°I came here this time to discuss a coboration with you.¡± ¡°On what?¡± ¡°The second-generation Xiao Heng you mentioned at the press conference.¡± Pei Zhi put down the ss. ¡°Otherpanies won¡¯t participate in the design of the second generation of Xiao Heng Robot.¡± ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Yao Qianning did not even think of participating in the design. ¡°I mean I want to invest.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°Five hundred million.¡± Pei Zhi suddenly smiled. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yao Qianning looked at him seriously. ¡°Based on the current market, nopany can offer more than the Yao Corporation, right?¡± Pei Zhi did not answer. ¡°Qu Shao, tell Miss Yao about Xiao Heng Robot¡¯s sales.¡± ¡°As of eight o¡¯clockst night, we sold a total of 10,000 units for a total of 3.6 billion.¡± Qu Shao did not forget to add, ¡°10,000 units is only presales. The sale will officially start next week.¡± Yao Qianning¡¯s expression wasplicated. She couldn¡¯t imagine how much profit the second generation of Xiao Heng would make when the sale officially started. After weighing the pros and cons, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll add another 500 million.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about how much you add.¡± Pei Zhi blew out a puff of smoke and said bluntly, ¡°Xiao Heng Series doesn¡¯t ept investments.¡± Sheng Heng had enough capital, and the talents he had were among the best in Lin City. There was no reason for him to give a piece of cake to others. Yao Qianning was silent for a long time. She knew that this piece of cake was not easy to grab, but she still wanted to fight for it. ¡°Are you free tomorrow? I¡¯ll get my father to talk to you.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about the weekend?¡± Pei Zhi lit his cigarette. ¡°No matter whoes, I won¡¯t change my mind.¡± Yao Qianning knew that there was no room for negotiation, so she could only watch as the cake disappeared. She pursed her lips. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± Azy and soft voice came from the lounge. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Right away.¡± Pei Zhi stubbed out his cigarette. He strode into the lounge, took off the coat hanging by the wall, and put it on for Lin Jiao. ¡°What time is it?¡± Lin Jiao bit his chin, leaving a faint mark on it. ¡°Three minutes to two.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going back to my station.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her lips. ¡°That woman outside is very annoying. Can you help me chase her away?¡± ¡°Did she harass you?¡± ¡°Looks like she¡¯s preparing to do it.¡± Hearing this, Lin Jiao instantly perked up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and wrapped her long legs around his waist. ¡°Carry me out.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi smiled. He held her butt and walked back to the desk in such an intimate posture. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was dressing her just now.¡± Yao Qianning¡¯s eyes were red with jealousy. She stared at that vixen-like face and cursed in her heart dozens of times before calming down. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She put the broken sunsses into the satchel. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Lin.¡± Lin Jiao sensed her hostility and didn¡¯t want to waste her breath on her. She leaned against Pei Zhi¡¯s neck and said softly, ¡°Pei Zhi, my hand is numb.¡± ¡°Which hand?¡± ¡°Left hand.¡± Pei Zhi held her fair hand. Yao Qianning took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Does Sheng Heng have any projects I can invest in at the moment?¡± ¡°You have to ask Qu Shao.¡± Pei Zhi was busy serving the person in his arms, so he kicked the hot potato Qu Shao. Chapter 167 - 167 The Person in the Information Is Back 167 The Person in the Information Is Back Qu Shao did not want to take it at all. He smiled. ¡°Not for the time being. You can wait until the new product is released next month.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be brought forward?¡± ¡°You decided to invest without even looking at the new product?¡± !! Yao Qianning choked. ¡°Sheng Heng is not a smallpany. I have absolute faith in you.¡± ¡°But in business, nothing is certain. I suggest you wait a little longer. That way, you¡¯ll be responsible for the investment you make.¡± When Qu Shao was serious, he waspletely different from usual. Not only was he sensible, but he was also persuasive. He emphasized the word ¡®responsible¡¯, making Yao Qianning, who was from the Yao Cooperation, unable to insist. ¡°Alright.¡± She nced at the woman in Pei Zhi¡¯s arms and gritted her teeth. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Miss Lin have to work?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t let me work.¡± Lin Jiao looked up, meaning that Pei Zhi was very clingy. The scene of them looking at each other lovingly was extremely ring to Yao Qianning. Yao Qianning couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°I have two meetings in the afternoon. I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡± Qu Shao stood up first. Seeing him close the door of the CEO¡¯s office, Lin Jiao picked up her ss and took two sips. ¡°Brother Qu is always reliable.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Zhi had always agreed with his ability. Otherwise, he would not have kept him by his side. ¡°Is what he said true?¡± ¡°No.¡± He kissed her wrist. ¡°There are many projects she can invest in, but I¡¯m more inclined to let otherpanies invest.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They are not as influential as the Yao Corporation, so they will be more sincere and it¡¯s easier for them to agree with Sheng Heng¡¯s ideals and amodate our needs.¡± Lin Jiao thought of Yao Qianning¡¯s attitude towards investing and indeed did not feel her sincerity. She looked at the clock. ¡°I need to go back.¡± Pei Zhi, who received a kiss, removed his hands from her back and watched her disappear. He opened the folder and seemed to have thought of something. He called Qu Shao over. ¡°Have you settled everything?¡± ¡°Are you referring to the rumors outside?¡± ¡°What else?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qu Shao guaranteed that no one would dare to spread rumors about their rtionship. ¡°I thought you were talking about Su Tian.¡± ¡°Is the person in the information back?¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be back on Friday.¡± Pei Zhi flipped through the documents calmly. ¡°Then tell him where Su Tian is.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qu Shao went to get it done. Lin City, which had cooled down again, was shrouded in dark clouds. Raindrops fell from the clouds and hit the Market behind the CBD with the cold wind. Su Tian, who was carrying a lot of shopping bags, was held by He Jia as they walked to the door of the hall on the first floor. She stared at the rain on the road and frowned in frustration. ¡°Jia, try and see if you can get a taxi.¡± He Jia opened the taxi hailing app. ¡°29 people in line. I think we¡¯ll have to wait a long time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. LIne up first.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Brother Quan toe and pick us up?¡± ¡°He¡¯s still in a meeting.¡± In order to hide their secret rtionship, Su Tian did not mention He Qi. ¡°There seems to be an umbre shop on the second floor. Go up and buy two.¡± ¡°You¡¯re noting?¡± ¡°I have too much stuff in my hands.¡± She changed to a kind tone. ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡± He Jia looked at the distance between the door and the roadside and agreed reluctantly. She didn¡¯t want to get drenched in the rain. Not long after she went upstairs, a middle-aged man holding an umbre slowly walked over. ¡°Are you Miss Su?¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Mr. Xiao¡¯s assistant.¡± He raised his chin at the Range Rover by the roadside. ¡°Please follow me.¡± Su Tian walked to the car with an inexplicable expression. She looked in through the half-open car window, wanting to see the man clearly. ¡°Mr. Xiao, why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know you. Why should I get in the car?¡± He sneered. ¡°Su Tian, have you been living so happily these days that you forget who your master is?¡± That spine-chilling voice suddenly woke up the memories hidden in Su Tian¡¯s heart. Two words shed across her mind. Xiao Song. Su Tian, who was pushed into the back row by Xiao Song¡¯s assistant, met that face that made her both happy and afraid. ¡°Why are you trembling?¡± Xiao Song leaned over and approached her, breathing into her ear. ¡°W-Why are you in Lin City?¡± ¡°Am I not weed?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Tian gripped the shopping bag tightly, her expression nervous, but she did not dare to push him away. She asked weakly, ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± Xiao Song held her chin and raised it. He used a lot of strength to leave a mark on her skin. ¡°Have you forgotten the rules I taught you?¡± ¡°I-I didn¡¯t forget.¡± ¡°What do you do when you see me?¡± Su Tian could not withstand the pressure he exerted on her and instantly became as obedient as she was in the past. She didn¡¯t care about her dignity. ¡°Woof.¡± ¡°Only once?¡± ¡°Woof¡­ woof woof.¡± Only then was Xiao Song satisfied. He kicked away the shopping bags that were scattered on the ground and looked at the bag that was vibrating. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a minute to answer the phone.¡± Su Tian only used 30 seconds to tell He Jia the reason for her sudden departure and stopped making a sound. She stopped asking him where they were going. ¡°Mr. Xiao, we¡¯re here.¡± The assistant drove into the parking lot of a high-end residential building. ¡°Bring the things.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He picked up the shopping bags and took the elevator to the eighth floor with them. ¡°Mr. Xiao, what do you want to eat tonight?¡± ¡°Two steaks.¡± Xiao Song stood at the door of 802 and pressed the fingerprint lock before asking his assistant to put down the things and leave. He sat on the sofa with a cigarette in his mouth and nced sideways at Su Tian. ¡°Who asked you to sit?¡± Su Tian stood opposite him. Under that teasing gaze, she knelt on the carpet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Why do you apologize?¡± ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have left without saying goodbye.¡± Xiao Song flicked the lighter. ¡°If I remember correctly, the agreement doesn¡¯t expire for another year?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was impossible for Su Tian not to remember the agreement she had signed willingly. ¡°There are thirteen months left.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re in a rtionship?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiao Song, who was still smiling a second ago, pped her cheek. ¡°Yes or no?¡± His dark expression made Su Tian afraid. She hugged his leg and looked at him with her extremely deceptive eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t love him. I¡¯m just ying with him.¡± ¡°Did the agreement allow you to y?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not allowed.¡± Xiao Song brushed away the hair on her cheek. He blew a puff of smoke at her. ¡°Is it ok for you to y with someone else with my money?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Su Tian¡¯s eyes turned red from the pain. She choked and said, ¡°I¡¯llpensate you with double that money, okay?¡± ¡°Why? Do you want to cut ties with me?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She wanted to say something but hesitated, making Xiao Song raise his eyebrows in interest. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s on your mind. I won¡¯t me you.¡± Su Tian suddenly clenched her fists. She hoped to say goodbye to her previous life, so no matter if what he said was true or not, she did not want to let go of this opportunity. ¡°I want to terminate the agreement.¡± With that, she bent down as if she had used all her courage. Chapter 168 - 168 Restricted by the Agreement 168 Restricted by the Agreement Xiao Song smiled. ¡°Because of him?¡± He was not bad-looking. When he smiled, he gave off a gentle feeling. ¡°No.¡± Su Tian was mesmerized by his gentleness and took the initiative to hold his hand. She looked at him affectionately. ¡°Song, you know that the person I love has always been you.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I want to be with you. I want to live the life of an ordinary couple with you, not a rtionship controlled by that agreement.¡± ¡°Ordinary couple?¡± Xiao Song¡¯s smile widened. He clearly saw through her, but he still asked, ¡°Is this some kind of a trick?¡± Su Tian was stunned. ¡°How can that be?¡± She interlocked her fingers with his. ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± ¡°Are you serious about being my girlfriend?¡± ¡°Not only your girlfriend, but also your wife.¡± Xiao Song had not heard such a joke in a long time. He ced his hand on the back of her head and blew a puff of smoke at her face. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re qualified?¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°I have money and status. Why should I be a couple with a piece of trash like you?¡± Su Tian¡¯s face turned pale. Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t you like me anymore?¡± ¡°When have I ever liked you?¡± ¡°You said before that I was very important.¡± Xiao Song¡¯s gaze was cold. ¡°You¡¯re indeed important to me in business, but you¡¯re not indispensable.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Su Tian pretended to be heartbroken. ¡°Song, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ve never liked me.¡± ¡°I have never touched you, and you still think I¡¯m in love with you?¡± His words were implying that she was dirty. Su Tian felt like she had been thrown into the sun and was roasted by the scorching sun. She smiled sadly, trying to use the word ¡®love¡¯ to get away with it. ¡°But I really love you.¡± When Xiao Song heard the doorbell, he went to get dinner. He ced the steak on the table. ¡°Su Tian, what¡¯s the trick you are ying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not ying any tricks.¡± ¡°You¡¯d better not ruin my appetite.¡± He threw another piece of steak at the foot of the table. ¡°Do you still remember how to eat?¡± Su Tian cried as she replied. She maintained her kneeling posture and moved to the foot of the table. Shey on the ground and used her mouth as a knife and fork. ¡°Song, can I drink water?¡± ¡°Is Song how you are supposed to address me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Xiao.¡± Xiao Song gave her a bowl of soup. He looked at her and cut the steak in front of him. ¡°Meet someone with me tonight.¡± Su Tian had a rough idea what would happen tonight, but the fear in her heart made her not dare to resist. She bit her lip. ¡°How long will it take to end?¡± ¡°Are you in a hurry to go back and find him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking.¡± Xiao Song did not give her an answer. After eating the steak, he asked Su Tian to crawl into the bathroom to touch up her makeup. When night fell, he brought her to the underground boxing arena in the city center. The dimly lit arena was extremely lively. The audience who came to watch the boxingpetition sat on all sides of the boxing ring, cheering for the boxers they liked. ¡°Brother Dao, beat him up!¡± Fang Yanwen, who was sitting at the table behind the man with the crew cut, shouted at the top of her lungs. Ever since she was expelled from school, she had been hanging out with girls outside the school and got to know many powerful people. Among them was Brother Dao in the boxing ring. The reason she fell in love with Brother Dao was very simple. If she couldn¡¯t get the best man, she wanted the most badass man she could find. ¡°Sister Wen.¡± Her best friend smiled and nudged her. ¡°Brother Dao is looking at you!¡± ¡°I know.¡± Fang Yanwen caught the affection in his eyes and continued to shout with a red face. The high-pitched cheers made the crew-cut man, who was waiting for his friends, bring his twockeys to the VIP viewing room. ¡°Boss, they¡¯re here.¡± Ackey who came in with wine and braised food reported to him. As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Song walked into the VIP viewing room with the obedient Su Tian. ¡°Peng.¡± He smiled and shook hands with Tian Peng. ¡°How have you been?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Tian Peng had known him for many years, so they were more than just ordinary friends. He ced a hand on his shoulder and casually lit a cigarette for him. ¡°Are you going to leave anytime soon aftering back this time?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± ¡°Then what about your business overseas?¡± ¡°Someone will take care of it for me.¡± Xiao Song had tworge nightclubs in Spain, and business was booming. He clinked sses with Tian Peng. ¡°I n to go back every six months.¡± ¡°Is the person you found reliable?¡± ¡°Very reliable.¡± Tian Peng was relieved to hear that. He drank half a ss of wine and his gazended on the woman on Xiao Song¡¯s right. ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± ¡°She¡¯s here to apany you.¡± Xiao Song turned to look at Su Tian, the message was obvious. This was not the first time something like this had happened. Su Tian, who had signed an agreement for money and interest, naturally knew how to fulfill her obligations. Just like when she was in Spain, she yed the role she was given and walked over shyly with a ss of wine. ¡°Brother Peng, let me toast you.¡± Many men could not refuse a woman like her who looked innocent. Tian Peng happened to like this type. He knew very well that Su Tian was not a decent woman. After clinking sses with her, he put his arm around her waist. ¡°Your waist is quite thin.¡± His teasing made Su Tian blush even more. She was too embarrassed to look up. She sat in his arms as intimately as a lover. ¡°Brother Peng, you haven¡¯t drunk yet.¡± ¡°You want me to drink it so badly?¡± ¡°I drank it all.¡± ¡°Then feed me?¡± Tian Peng enjoyed the taste of being fed wine by a beauty and looked at Xiao Song in satisfaction. Xiao Song said bluntly, ¡°She¡¯s yours tonight.¡± ¡°Only tonight?¡± ¡°You can keep her a few more days if you want.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Tian Peng was just joking. After all, it was easy for him to lose his interest after trying something once. Hearing that, Su Tian heaved a sigh of relief. She fed Tian Peng a piece of apple from the fruit te and looked at him pitifully. ¡°Brother Peng, stop tickling me.¡± Tian Peng did not retract his hand that was rubbing her waist. ¡°Shut up.¡± He swallowed the apple and started chatting with Xiao Song. ¡°Have you thought of opening a branch in Lin City?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already preparing for it.¡± ¡°What are you short of at the moment?¡± ¡°I¡¯m short-staffed.¡± Xiao Song came to see him partly for matters rted to the branch. ¡°I don¡¯t have many people in Lin City I can use.¡± ¡°Leave this to me.¡± Tian Peng had been in Lin City for a very long time and did notck people. Xiao Song raised his ss. ¡°Thank you.¡± He nced at the boxing ring through the transparent ss. ¡°Do you have matches every day?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Tian Peng leaned back and followed his gaze. ¡°There are more matches this weekend than usual.¡± ¡°Can I ce a bet?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Xiao Song looked at the boxers warming up in the boxing ring. He bet a million on instinct. When the two boxers both threw a punch, he asked Tian Peng, ¡°What do you think of the one on the right?¡± Chapter 169 - 169 Lin Jiao’s Promotion 169 Lin Jiao¡¯s Promotion ¡°His performance is not very stable.¡± Tian Peng said, ¡°But there are times when he wins.¡± ¡°That¡¯s normal.¡± Xiao Song only betted a million yuan to return the favor. He did not care who won or lost. After enjoying a boxing match, he decided to leave first to give Tian Peng time to have fun. ¡°Shall I send her back to you tomorrow?¡± !! ¡°No need.¡± Xiao Song put on his coat and smiled evilly. ¡°Have fun.¡± Su Tian, who was left behind, followed Tian Peng along the long corridor outside the hall and finally entered a lounge. She listened to the door close and took the initiative to kiss Tian Peng¡¯s lips, losing herself in the intimate atmosphere. The curtains that blocked the light made people forget time. Tian Peng was finally tired of her on Sunday afternoon. ¡°Where do you live? I¡¯ll get someone to send you back.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go back myself.¡± Su Tian endured the difort and kissed him before leaving. When she returned to Lufu Bay, she happened to meet Gu Quan, who was changing his shoes and preparing to go out. ¡°Tian Tian.¡± He went forward and put his arm around her waist, his voice as gentle as ever. ¡°Did you have fun with your friends?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Tian smiled. ¡°I originally nned toe back on Monday, but I missed you too much.¡± ¡°I miss you too.¡± Gu Quan kissed her forehead, feeling their warmth in each other¡¯s arms. The affection he expressed made Su Tian feel at ease. She heaved a sigh of relief and looked up at him. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Thepany.¡± Gu Chengyi had arranged a lot of work for him recently, making his time especially tight. Gu Quan rubbed the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll be back. Go to bed early tonight.¡± ¡°Then can you take me home to see your parents next week?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tian tightened her grip on her bag. She stared in the direction Gu Quan left and sat on the sofa tiredly, gradually falling into deep thought. Based on the current situation, there was only one way for her to get rid of Xiao Song, who was not short of money. She had to marry to Gu Quan. As long as she married into the Gu family, with the Gu family¡¯s influence in Lin City, Xiao Song would need to think twice before doing something. However, it would take time to persuade Gu Quan¡¯s parents. Before that, she could only choose to listen to Xiao Song. # Late autumn had passed and it was early winter. Every month on the first day, the nning department would hold a monthly meeting. In addition to summarizing the work, there were also variousmendations. Zheng Yi hosted the monthly meeting. He announced the new personnel changes, ¡°Sun Haoran will be promoted to the supervisor of the nning department from today onwards.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao and Aly performed wellst quarter. After discussing with Manager Wu, we decided to appoint the two of you as team leaders of Team Five and Six.¡± A round of apuse sounded. Wu Xiuwen congratted them one by one, encouraged the other employees, and asked Zheng Yi to arrange work. The nning department¡¯s task at the end of the year was not heavy, but it did not mean that they could ck off. After listening to the arrangements carefully, Lin Jiao followed her colleagues back to her desk. She opened the WeChat interface and sent a message to Pei Zhi. ¡°I¡¯ve been promoted to team leader. Ass p.jpg.¡± ¡°I sent the wrong sticker!¡± Lin Jiao quickly deleted the sticker and sent another sticker with a smug face. ¡°It¡¯s useless to take it back. Ass p.jpg.¡± ¡°I¡¯m ignoring you.jpg.¡± Pei Zhi stopped teasing her. ¡°What do you want to eat tonight? Let¡¯s go out and celebrate. Rub your head.jpg.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a new Chinese restaurant near the CBD. It looks good. /Picture /¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll book it immediately.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get to work first. Hug.jpg.¡± Lin Jiao put down her phone and chatted with her colleagues before getting back to work. She typed on the keyboard and spent the entire daypleting two proposals before heading to the parking lot in a good mood. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi picked up a wine-colored gift box from the back seat. ¡°This is your promotion gift.¡± ¡°When did you buy it?¡± ¡°In the afternoon.¡± Lin Jiao opened the gift box and saw a Camellia brooch. The brooch was decorated with pearls and round diamonds. It was a little retro and elegant. ¡°Thank you.¡± She leaned to the left and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°I like it very much.¡± Pei Zhi lowered his eyes. ¡°Only thanks?¡± He ced his palm on her butt and patted it twice in dissatisfaction. Lin Jiao felt that he was addicted to pping her butt whenever he had the chance. She suppressed her embarrassment and kissed his lips. Just like every time before, she was immersed in it. She would never get tired of kissing him. ¡°Is this enough?¡± She looked into his long and narrow eyes to calm her racing heart. ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed her lower lip and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Thank me a few more times when we get home.¡± His straightforward gaze made Lin Jiao blush. ¡°I¡¯m hungry.¡± She sat back in the passenger seat. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Pei Zhi listened to her. He put on her seatbelt and stepped on the elerator to drive to the restaurant near the CBD. The environment of the Chinese restaurant was good. The waiter led them into an independent private room and briefly introduced the signature dishes before leaving them alone. ¡°Do you have to be out socializing the day after tomorrow?¡± Lin Jiao swirled the red wine ss and took a sip. ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°My mother wants to see you.¡± She pursed her sparkling lips. ¡°Uncle Xue is free too.¡± Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Where do they live?¡± ¡°Near the municipal government building.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not far from Sheng Heng.¡± He asked what they liked and suddenly said, ¡°I heard that your grandpa¡¯s birthday is around the corner?¡± ¡°Yes, his birthday is on the twenty-fifth.¡± ¡°How does he n to spend it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lin Jiao held her cheek with one hand and looked into his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll ask him in two days.¡± Pei Zhi changed seats before the waiter entered. He sat on Lin Jiao¡¯s right and held her waist as he watched appetizing dishes being ced on the dining table. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He blew on the hot tofu before feeding it to her. ¡°When do you think you can be promoted to supervisor?¡± ¡°March next year.¡± Lin Jiao knew the promotion model of the nning department and was very confident in herself. Pei Zhi did not doubt her ability. He swallowed a piece of crispy duck meat. ¡°Do you have any other ns after being promoted to supervisor?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She turned to look at him. ¡°I think what I can learn from the nning department is too limited. I want to change departments.¡± ¡°Where to?¡± ¡°Make a guess.¡± Pei Zhi looked at her for two seconds. With her career orientation, the first thing he thought of was the office on the top floor. ¡°General Manager Office?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. She fed Pei Zhi champagne. ¡°I¡¯ll probably apply for a transfer in April or May. Will you take care of me in the future?¡± Chapter 170 - 170 It’s Not Certain Who’s the Fish 170 It¡¯s Not Certain Who¡¯s the Fish After being fed two mouthfuls of champagne and three pieces of meat, he said, ¡°I can take care of you, but how are you going to thank me?¡± ¡°I can let you kiss me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all?¡± ¡°I can let you kiss me in the bathroom.¡± Seeing that he was not satisfied, Lin Jiao continued, ¡°Or you can tell me what you want.¡± !! He suppressed the darkness in his eyes. ¡°After youpletely recover, I¡¯ll show you what I want.¡± Sensing danger, Lin Jiao did not ask further. After dinner, they returned home in the cold wind. A theme song came from the speakers. After cutting the fruits, Pei Zhi took out two silver forks from the box and went to the living room to watch a movie with her. ¡°Jiaojiao, what do you want to drink?¡± ¡°Wine.¡± Lin Jiao looked in the direction of the wine cab. ¡°Is there any more fruit wine at home?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Pei Zhi turned around and walked back. He removed the cap of the fruit wine and handed it to her. At the same time, he lifted the nket andy on the sofa. ¡°What are you watching?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called After.¡± ¡°A romance movie?¡± ¡°Yes, the story of a scumbag and a good girl.¡± Lin Jiao took two sips of wine. ¡°Yn sent it to me.¡± ¡°To you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± She opened the chat history. ¡°She said that this movie hasn¡¯t been released in our country yet.¡± When Pei Zhi saw Pei Yn¡¯s message, he could not help but feel suspicious. He opened the search engine and entered After. As he scrolled down, he saw many ¡®inappropriate¡¯ments. ¡°Jiaojiao, watch it next time.¡± He pressed the pause button in time to prevent the scene from popping up. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Not suitable for now.¡± Lin Jiao took his phone and looked at thements. She yed the video in the bottom right corner and was just beginning to enjoy the swim scene when the screen went ck. ¡°I¡¯m just curious.¡± She bit the mouth of the bottle and looked away guiltily. ¡°Then you find one.¡± ¡°Curiosity kills the cat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a cat.¡± ¡°You can be a fish if you want.¡± Pei Zhi kissed the top of her head, his voice low and filled withughter. His meaning was obvious. ¡®The fish eaten by him.¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s not certain who¡¯s the fish.¡± Lin Jiao bit his chin and let him be the fish first. She pointed at the television. ¡°Are you still going to find a movie or not?¡± Pei Zhi pulled her into his arms and found aedy that they had never seen before. He rested his chin on the top of her head affectionately, asionally toasting her andughing with her. As night fell, the lights in the house went out. Lin Jiao, who was sleepy from the alcohol, curled up in the warm bed and slept until eight o¡¯clock sharp. In a daze, she moved into his arms. As if sensing something, she suddenly opened her eyes. In order to confirm that what she felt that day in Lujing was not a dream, she ced her left hand behind her back and frowned. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± A dangerous voice came from above her head, and she subconsciously grabbed it. Pei Zhi clenched his fists tightly. His dark eyes seemed to be covered in ayer of ink, making it impossible to see through his expression. ¡°You scared me.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and red at him. Pei Zhi¡¯s gazended on those red lips, hisst bit of rationality fading. He asked hoarsely, ¡°Who¡¯s scaring who?¡± ¡°You scared me.¡± Lin Jiao did not notice the veins on the back of his hand, nor did she care about this. She smiled and told him about her discovery. ¡°Do you still remember when I was looking for something in Lujing?¡± ¡°You found it?¡± ¡°Yes, let me show you.¡± Afraid that he would be caught off guard, Pei Zhi pulled the nket over their heads. He observed her expression and saw that her face was visibly flushed red. His rationality waspletely gone. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He rubbed her waist and said in a strong and gentle tone, ¡°You only have one choice.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The one you said a while ago.¡± Lin Jiao felt like her face was being roasted by a fire. She closed her eyes and covered his lips with hers. The clock on the wall was still moving. ¡°Ding¡ªDing¡ª¡± The rm went off for the fourth time. Pei Zhi strode into the bathroom and came back with a towel. He hugged Lin Jiao, who was like a quail, and the smile on his face widened. ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s eight forty.¡± Lin Jiao immediately sat up. She looked at the clock and red at him with her blurry eyes. ¡°You still have the cheek to tell me that!¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Will you do it again next time?¡± Pei Zhi held back hisughter. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± After wiping her fingertips, he carried her into the bathroom to wash up. ¡°Open the window.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the crumpled paper on the carpet and walked towards the fitting room. Pei Zhi raised his hand and pushed open the window, letting in the fresh air. ¡°It will be nine-thirty by the time I get to thepany.¡± Lin Jiao got into the passenger seat and took out an eyeliner. She aimed the tip of the pen at the end of her eye and was about to draw when she realized that her hand was sore from doing it. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault!¡± Pei Zhi apologized again. He leaned over and rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t be deducted until you¡¯re more than three timeste.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I care about.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do eyeliner.¡± Lin Jiao drew a crooked stroke on the back of his hand. Only then did Pei Zhi understand what she meant. ¡°Jiaojiao looks good without makeup.¡± In order to appease the angry cat, he kissed her and coaxed her. ¡°Drive.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. She tilted her head to look at the afterimage that shed past the window. She carried the breakfast Pei Zhi bought outside Sheng Heng and strode to her desk. ¡°Senior.¡± When Meng Qi handed her the documents, she asked, ¡°Were you in a traffic jam?¡± ¡°No, I overslept.¡± ¡°Then look at this after you are done eating breakfast.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao took two sips of milk before unwrapping the cake. ¡°Have you modified your proposal?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Meng Qi was having a headache. She pointed at the document on theputer screen. ¡°I really don¡¯t know what I can do to make it better.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother Zheng point it out for you?¡± ¡°But he didn¡¯t make it clear enough.¡± Lin Jiao moved her chair to her desk to guide her. Even though Meng Qi had said something she did not like to hearst time, she had never thought of stopping helping her. Meng Xi noted down the key points Lin Jiao mentioned. She sighed in frustration. ¡°This job really killed a lot of my brain cells.¡± Chapter 171 - 171 Mr. Xue Dotes On His Wife 171 Mr. Xue Dotes On His Wife ¡°It¡¯s the same for any job.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips and continued eating the cake. ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Meng Qi opened the thermos. ¡°If I go home to inherit the family business, I definitely won¡¯t have to deal with this.¡± ¡°Inheriting the family business also requires learning.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Her take on things was too naive. ¡°There are many people who can do things for me.¡± !! Lin Jiao shook her head speechlessly. She threw the empty cake box into the trash can and stopped talking about Meng Qi¡¯s family matters. ¡°Change your proposal first.¡± ¡°Sigh.¡± Meng Qi shook her head. When she looked at the screen, she asked suddenly, ¡°How often does President Pei go to the cafeteria?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s too difficult to meet him.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and typed on the keyboard without saying anything. She nced at the ring that reflected light and focused on work. Day and night alternated. The setting sun on Thursday evening dyed the clouds red and decorated the sky. A Mercedes-Benz drove west under the neon lights and stopped at a residential building behind the municipal government building. The second year after Xue Taiyao and Lan Ying got married, he bought a house here to make it easier for them to get to and from work. Although the environment was notparable to a high-end neighborhood, the property prices were still very high. ¡°Knock, knock¡ª¡± There was a knock on the door of the apartment on the left on the third floor. Hearing this, Xue Taiyao walked to the entrance and pressed the door handle. He smiled and weed them into the house. He had a square face and thick eyebrows, giving off an easygoing and gentle aura. He poured tea into the cup. ¡°Your mother took Jing to buy crayons. They¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Lin Jiao replied, ¡°Where¡¯s Sister Yu?¡± Xue Shuyu was the daughter of Xue Taiyao¡¯s ex-wife and was a year older than Lin Jiao. ¡°She¡¯s still in Bin City.¡± ¡°I heard from her some time ago that she¡¯s preparing to be promoted to form teacher. How is she now?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t. She doesn¡¯t want to get promoted again.¡± Xue Taiyao chatted with her about Xue Shuyu. He turned to look at Pei Zhi. ¡°When did you two get together? It¡¯s so sudden.¡± ¡°Since August.¡± Pei Zhi had seen him many times and was not as nervous as he was when facing Lin Hongyuan. He said, ¡°At first, I was busy chasing after her. Then we went to Paris, so I didn¡¯t have time to tell you.¡± ¡°Are you two nning to get married?¡± ¡°Yes, we are.¡± When Pei Zhi talked about his future ns, Xue Taiyao could feel how much he valued this rtionship. He ced his right hand on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder and raised his chin at the kitchen. ¡°Do you usually cook?¡± ¡°Yes, asionally.¡± ¡°Thene over and help.¡± Pei Zhi took off his coat and walked to the kitchen. Lin Jiao, who was left in the living room, picked up the remote control and looked for an interesting television channel. As she watched, she ate the fruits on the table. ¡°Sister!¡± Xue Jing pounced on her from the entrance, his eyes bright. ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Half an hour ago.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Brother-inw?¡± ¡°He¡¯s in the kitchen with your father.¡± Lin Jiao carried him to the sofa and handed him the remote control. She forked a piece of fruit and looked at Lan Ying. ¡°Miss Lan, you¡¯ve be prettier again.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, your face is very bubbly.¡± Lan Ying patted her cheek and smiled like a teenage girl. ¡°This means that the skincare I¡¯ve been using recently is quite effective.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with skincare.¡± Lin Jiao touched her face. ¡°You are a natural beauty.¡± Her serious tone made Lan Ying overjoyed. Lan Ying was grinning from ear to ear. She looked at Xue Jing. ¡°Jing, don¡¯t you think I look like a fairy?¡± Xue Jing looked at his mother. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re so narcissistic.¡± Although Xue Jing also admitted that his mother was beautiful, he still thought his sister was way prettier. Lan Ying crossed her arms and shouted into the kitchen, ¡°Xue Taiyao, your son is saying something bad about me.¡± ¡°Xue Jing!¡± Xue Taiyao, who was holding the spat, rushed out of the kitchen the next second. ¡°Are you itching for a beating?¡± He looked like he was about to hit Xue Jing¡¯s palm with the spat. ¡°No.¡± Xue Jing guessed that his mother wouldin to his father, so he hid behind Lin Jiao. He whispered, ¡°I just said she¡¯s narcissistic.¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± Xue Taiyao put his arm around Lan Ying¡¯s shoulder. ¡°How is your mother narcissistic?¡± ¡°She said she looked like a fairy.¡± ¡°Your mother did so much to bring you up. Why can¡¯t she be a fairy?¡± Xue Jing nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± He apologized to Lan Ying. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you this time.¡± Lan Ying pinched his chubby face. Seeing that he was instantly obedient, Xue Taiyao lowered his hand that was holding the spat. ¡°If this happens again, see if I¡¯ll beat you up.¡± Xue Jing, who did not want there to be a next time, praised his mother repeatedly until Xue Taiyao left. While Lan Ying was in the bedroom, he said to Lin Jiao like an adult, ¡°Mommy is bing more and more like a child.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because your father dotes on her.¡± ¡°Does Brother-inw dote on you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lin Jiao leaned against the sofa. ¡°Your brother-inw also dotes on me like a little kid.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a way to show your love.¡± She yed with his chubby hands. ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you grow up.¡± Xue Jing did not think too far ahead. His attention was attracted by the two bears on the TV. It was not until Xue Taiyao called for dinner that he was led into the washroom by Lin Jiao to wash his hands. ¡°Brother-inw.¡± When he picked up his chopsticks, he said to them sensibly, ¡°Thank you for cooking for us.¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Pei Zhi picked up some food for him and treated him as his own brother. ¡°Jing, eat more vegetables.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want veggies.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Xue Taiyao nced at him, making Xue Jing quickly change his words. ¡°I want more veggies.¡± Lan Ying, who was watching their interactions, smiled. She picked up a piece of fish and looked at Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao¡¯s fingers. ¡°What¡¯s the brand of the ring you are wearing?¡± ¡°Cartier.¡± ¡°Is there a style that suits me?¡± ¡°Most of them are suitable for you.¡± Lin Jiao ate braised pork ribs made by Pei Zhi. ¡°You can find it on their official website.¡± Xue Taiyao then opened the official website. ¡°Buy whatever you like.¡± He fed Lan Ying as if no one was around, his eyes filled with warmth. ¡°How is the one with diamonds?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around Lin Jiao¡¯s waist and finished the meal in silence. He held her hand and led her back to the living room. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone as loyal and devoted as Uncle Xue.¡± Chapter 172 - 172 Stealing the Pei Family’s Money 172 Stealing the Pei Family¡¯s Money ¡°Are you not?¡± ¡°I am.¡± He whispered into her ear, ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, my feelings for you won¡¯t change.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao interlocked her fingers with his. Most promises in the world would turn into bubbles, but she was willing to trust Pei Zhi this once and give him enough time to prove it. !! ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Lan Ying sat opposite them. ¡°Where are you nning to spend the New Year this year?¡± ¡°On Dad¡¯s side.¡± Her choice was different every year, but Lan Ying had always respected her choice. ¡°What about your grandfather?¡± ¡°They¡¯re about to reconcile.¡± Lin Jiao briefly exined what happened a while ago. ¡°He¡¯ll go to the countryside to pick up Grandpa next week.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Lan Ying knew that Lin Hongyuan had been tormented by guilt and naturally hoped that they could reconcile. She did not talk about this topic anymore. She mainly wanted to talk to Pei Zhi and get to know him better. When they were about to leave, she and Xue Taiyao stuffed a lot of things into his car and asked him to bring them back for his family. Pei Zhi smiled and epted the couple¡¯s kindness. He drove Lin Jiao back to Red Maple Forest. Just as he changed into slippers, he received a call from Pei Qisheng. ¡°Yao Qianning came to the old residence.¡± His unexpected words made Pei Zhi stop in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s she there for?¡± Pei Qisheng looked at the car driving away and slowly exined what happened. Yao Qianning came to visit in the evening. When she entered the house with a pile of gift boxes, Pei Zhen was ying chess with Chu Kui. ¡°Uncle Pei, I¡¯m here to see you.¡± Hearing the voice, Pei Zhen turned around to look at her. He gestured for Yao Qianning to sit down. ¡°Qianning, I¡¯m already so old. It¡¯s more suitable to call me Grandpa.¡± Yao Qianning did not meet Pei Zhen often. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± She ced the gift boxes on the coffee table and sat on his right. ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhen picked up a piece and continued ying with Chu Kui. ¡°Why isn¡¯t your father here?¡± ¡°He has business to take care of and can¡¯t leave at the moment.¡± Yao Qianning chatted with him for a long time, from his physical condition to his hobbies and interests. Chu Kui started to have a headache. He couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and changed the topic to Pei Zhi to prevent her from nagging. ¡°Old Pei, is Pei Zhiing back tonight?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Does he still live in Red Maple Forest?¡± With Chu Kui taking the lead, Yao Qianning also started asking about Pei Zhi. ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhen answered bluntly, then he said to Chu Kui, ¡°He should be on a date now.¡± ¡°A date?¡± The smile on Yao Qianning¡¯s face froze for a moment. ¡°Is he in a rtionship?¡± ¡°He¡¯s been dating for months.¡± ¡°Really? Brother Pei even said before that he wanted to develop a rtionship with me. I didn¡¯t expect him to be in a rtionship.¡± Pei Zhen still looked indifferent. ¡°Did he say that? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡± ¡°He said so to my father.¡± ¡°Your father must be mistaken.¡± He picked up the teacup and took two sips. ¡°Pei Zhi is not someone who likes to make promises.¡± Yao Qianning¡¯s expression stiffened. She didn¡¯t have any evidence to prove that Pei Zhi did. She smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect him to be in a rtionship so quickly.¡± ¡°He¡¯s already 30 years old.¡± ¡°Thirty is still considered young.¡± She paused for a moment before asking curiously, ¡°Did you introduce his current girlfriend to him?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Have you seen her?¡± ¡°We met her grandfather in the countryside.¡± Chu Kui shook his head and clicked his tongue. ¡°Her grandfather is a farmer and is very rough.¡± ¡°Her grandfather was here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. He was here to beg.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so mean.¡± Pei Zhen added, ¡°That old man looks quite pitiful.¡± ¡°Is her family poor?¡± ¡°Quite so.¡± Chu Kui gestured. ¡°There is a hole this size in his house.¡± Yao Qianning showed her disdain on her face. She pretended to be worried and said, ¡°Grandpa Pei, you have to be careful.¡± ¡°What for?¡± ¡°She might have designs on the Pei family¡¯s money.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Chu Kui thought about it seriously. ¡°I think we should get them to hold the wedding first.¡± Pei Zhen nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He ced a piece on the chessboard. ¡°I¡¯ll ask that old man tomorrow.¡± Yao Qianning was no longer smiling. She looked at them and asked in confusion, ¡°Grandpa Pei, what do you mean?¡± ¡°I want a daughter-inw to spend time with me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that she will steal the money?¡± ¡°In any case, Pei Zhi is capable.¡± Pei Zhen did not care about money at all. ¡°I believe he can earn it again.¡± ¡°Who is stealing our money?¡± Pei Qisheng asked curiously as he entered. ¡°Qianning said that Pei Zhi¡¯s girlfriend wants to steal the Pei family¡¯s money and asked us to keep an eye on her.¡± ¡°I said it¡¯s possible that she will do it.¡± ¡°How did youe to that conclusion?¡± Pei Qisheng¡¯s gaze was very oppressive. Yao Qianning stammered for a long time but could not say a word. Seeing that her face was red, Chu Kui continued, ¡°Did Pei Zhi make a promise to her?¡± Pei Qisheng frowned when he found out what happened. ¡°No.¡± He said bluntly, ¡°Even if he¡¯s single, he won¡¯t like someone like you.¡± ¡°Why¡­ why?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not his type.¡± Yao Qianning tightened her grip on her knee. She refused to admit that she was inferior to that woman. Even if she was already sobbing, she still wanted to retort, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± ¡°If he¡¯s interested in you, why doesn¡¯t he even have your WeChat? Qianning, you don¡¯t have to lie to yourself.¡± On ount that she was his friend¡¯s daughter, Pei Qisheng did not say anything too harsh. However, his words still hurt Yao Qianning. ¡°Not having my WeChat doesn¡¯t mean anything.¡± Just as her tears were about to fall, she stood up and said goodbye, ¡°I¡¯ll visit you another day.¡± Her departure did not affect Pei Zhen from ying chess. He fiddled with the chess pieces calmly. ¡°Qisheng, your friend¡¯s daughter is too scheming.¡± Pei Qisheng understood what he meant, so he called Pei Zhi immediately. He told the story from beginning to end to Pei Zhi before adding, ¡°In my opinion, she will try her best to see Jiaojiao next.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give her a chance.¡± ¡°Can she find Jiaojiao¡¯s address in Ming Xin Mansion?¡± ¡°She won¡¯t be able to find anything soon.¡± Pei Zhi hung up and sent Qu Shao a WeChat message. Seeing that he was standing by the window without moving, Lin Jiao, who was nestled up on the sofa, slowly approached him. She hugged him from behind. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I was dealing with an annoying fly.¡± Pei Zhi held her slender hand and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you doing your skincare routine?¡± Chapter 173 - 173 Jiang Ye, I Think I’m in Love with You 173 Jiang Ye, I Think I¡¯m in Love with You ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Lin Jiao, who was not wearing slippers, stepped on his foot and looked up to ask, ¡°Have you done dealing with the fly?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll take a while.¡± ¡°Will it affect you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi picked her up andy on the soft sofa with her. ¡°I have a fly swatter.¡± !! Lin Jiao suddenly thought of Chu Yuzhou¡¯s gift. ¡°Where did you put the gifts we haven¡¯t unwrapped yet?¡± ¡°In the safe.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her red lips to divert her attention. Lin Jiao, who was kissed until her eyes were blurry, was immersed in the temperament of his lips and forgot about the gift. She calmed her breathing. ¡°You kissed me for so long again.¡± Pei Zhi smiled and brushed her hair back. He kissed her lips. ¡°I can¡¯t control myself when ites to kissing you.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never controlled yourself.¡± ¡°I did.¡± There were times he secretly controlled himself from crossing the line. However, Lin Jiao did not know if he did not tell her. She looked into his eyes. ¡°Can you control yourself next time? I¡¯m curious what you¡¯ll look like.¡± Pei Zhi nodded meaningfully. He held her in his arms domineeringly and watched the TV in the long and silent night. The cold wind collided with the ss window crazily, but it was to no avail. It could only drift away with the fallen leaves, looking for an unobstructed ce. In the movie town, many production teams were filming outdoors day and night. The cold wind howled past the actors under themplight, causing them to tighten their coats. Jiang Ye, who was trembling, focused when he heard the word action. He alternated between his role and reality until Friday evening before he could have time to take a break. ¡°How many days off?¡± Wu Rui, who came to the shooting site to see him, sent him home when he heard that he was going to take a break. ¡°A day.¡± ¡°Back tomorrow night?¡± ¡°The morning after tomorrow.¡± Jiang Ye adjusted the passenger seat and leaned back to rx. He looked at the calendar. ¡°It¡¯s the fourth today.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired of counting the days?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Wu Rui was really impressed. He looked at Jiang Ye¡¯s tired eyes. ¡°I suggest you post it tomorrow.¡± Jiang Ye suddenly looked up. ¡°You think I¡¯m doing the right thing?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He handed him a cigarette while waiting for the light to turn green. ¡°The sooner you make it public, the sooner you can get rid of one thing on your mind.¡± ¡°Brother Rui, thank you.¡± Jiang Ye smiled, as if all the fatigue in his body had been swept away. The joy he showed infected Wu Rui. ¡°What¡¯s there to thank me for?¡± He retracted his gaze and continued driving. ¡°Hurry up and tell her.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jiang Ye sent Pei Yn a WeChat message. Not long after he sent the message, Wu Rui stepped on the brakes at the door of Ming Xin Mansion. ¡°Remember not to let her show her face.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He closed the car door with a smile and walked towards the building. The house Zhou Yanshen rented for him was in Unit 10. The elevator in Unit 10 happened to be under repair. Jiang Ye had no choice but to climb the stairs. ¡°Jiang¡­ Ye¡­¡± A female voice that sounded like she was crying andughing entered his ears. Jiang Ye stopped in his tracks and leaned against the safe passage on the sixth floor, looking up casually. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°How may I help you, youngdy?¡± ¡°I¡­ want¡­ to go home with you.¡± ¡°Home for what?¡± ¡°Eat¡­ you.¡± Pei Yn slowed down her speech, creating a scary atmosphere. Jiang Ye almost couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. ¡°Thene down.¡± He pulled open the door on the left and coughed to hide hisughter. ¡°Give me a bite first.¡± ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t¡­ take a¡­ shower.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll boil the water.¡± ¡°Are you going to scald me with boiling water?¡± Pei Yn rushed down the steps and pounced into his arms. ¡°The piglet needs to be scalded to taste good.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the pig.¡± ... Jiang Ye did not retort. He held Pei Yn¡¯s hand and walked to the apartment on the left. As he opened the door, he asked her, ¡°When did you arrive?¡± ¡°Ten minutes ago?¡± ¡°No wonder you didn¡¯t reply to my WeChat.¡± ¡°What did you send?¡± Pei Yn changed into the couple slippers he bought. ¡°I haven¡¯t had time to look at it yet.¡± ¡°Our rtionship can be made public tomorrow.¡± ¡°Tomorrow?!¡± She stood on her tiptoes in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°What do you n to post?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll show you after I post it.¡± Jiang Ye leaned down and kissed her between her eyebrows gently. He looked into the kitchen. ¡°What¡¯s for dinner?¡± ¡°The noodles you cooked.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He asked Pei Yn to sit on the sofa and turned around to walk into the kitchen to take out a piece of beef. ... Listening to him wash and cut the vegetables, Pei Yn felt like she was living a life after marriage. She opened the takeout app and ordered some fruits and snacks to prepare for staying here overnight. ¡°Yn, it¡¯s ready.¡± Jiang Ye stood at the dining table with two bowls of noodles and called out to her. ¡°Wait.¡± Pei Yn opened the door to get the takeout before walking over. ¡°What did you buy?¡± ¡°Fruits.¡± She rolled the noodles up with her chopsticks and blew on it twice before bringing it to her mouth. Last weekend, Jiang Ye showed off his culinary skills. She had only tasted it once before her stomach was conquered. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± She held her stomach and looked at him sincerely. ¡°I think I¡¯m in love with you.¡± Jiang Ye paused. Before he could respond, she continued, ¡°I can feel it in my stomach.¡± Her expression and familiar words reminded him of a line from ¡®L¨¦on: The Killer¡¯. ¡°Is it warm there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She immersed herself in acting. ¡°I always had a knot there and now¡­ it¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d you don¡¯t have a stomach ache any more.¡± Jiang Ye yed along with her. ¡°But the noodles are going to be sticky.¡± Pei Yn walked out of her role the next second. She quietly finished a bowl of beef noodles and asked him, ¡°How is my acting just now?¡± Jiang Ye washed the cherries. ¡°It¡¯s especially good.¡± It was so good that he thought she meant every word she said. ¡°Who else have you acted with?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn put her hand in the running tap water and hooked his little finger. ¡°We all like to watch dramas.¡± ¡°Which type?¡± ¡°Anything that¡¯s good. It doesn¡¯t matter what type it is.¡± Jiang Ye held her hand and wiped it with a tissue. He picked up the fruit te filled with cherries and held her waist as they returned to the living room. ¡°Then choose one and we¡¯ll watch it together.¡± At the mention of watching something, Pei Yn thought of After. She opened herptop and projected it onto the TV without hesitation. ¡°This is very good.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve seen it?¡± ¡°No, I heard that the plot is very exciting.¡± Jiang Ye took off his slippers andy on the sofa on the right with Pei Yn. He covered himself with a nket and enjoyed the movie. ¡°Is this about school love or something?¡± Pei Yn nodded. ¡°The first one is.¡± Chapter 174 - 174 Spend the Long Years with Her in Peace 174 Spend the Long Years with Her in Peace The first half of the movie was monotonous. It was probably about the male and female leads having feelings for each other and bing intimate. At first, Jiang Ye thought it was normal. After all, kissing was amon way to express love. However, in thetter half, the story development started to change. He looked at the two ovepping figures on the bed and quickly covered Pei Yn¡¯s eyes. !! ¡°Where¡¯s the remote control?¡± He removed his hand from her waist and looked around for the remote control. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Pei Yn shuffled back and sat on the remote control. She listened to the voiceing from the speaker and pretended not to understand. ¡°Are they fighting?¡± ¡°No.¡± He lifted the nket and continued searching for the remote control with a red face. ¡°The female lead¡¯s foot was hit by something.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound like her foot is hit.¡± She tried to pull his hand away. ¡°Let me see.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± In his hurry, Jiang Ye forgot to turn off the screen on herptop. He stepped on the ground and ran to the TV the next second. He pulled out the plug. ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with this TV.¡± Pei Yn was speechless. She looked at him with a smile and patted the seat beside her. ¡°Come here.¡± Jiang Ye, who was sweating profusely, sat back down beside her. Perhaps because it was too hot, he did not get too close to her this time. ¡°That movie is too boring.¡± ¡°Which scene are you referring to?¡± ¡°Everything.¡± Pei Yn leaned forward. ¡°I saw it.¡± She lowered her voice. ¡°The scene just now was very beautiful.¡± As her warm breath brushed past his ear, Jiang Ye¡¯s back stiffened, not knowing how to react. He picked up the cigarette box on the table, swallowed, and lit a cigarette before changing the topic. ¡°I know a thriller movie that¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°You want to see it?¡± ¡°A little.¡± He mainly wanted to use the scary scenes to shake off the thought in his mind. Little did he know that his suggestion was exactly what she wanted. Pei Yn ¡®suddenly¡¯ found the remote control and asked him to turn on the TV to choose a new movie. She held his wrist and pulled him onto the sofa, leaning into his arms like before. ¡°Jiang Ye, turn off the lights first.¡± Jiang Ye reached behind the sofa. He pulled her in and focused on the screen, immersed in the plot. The light reflected from the screen scattered in every corner of the living room, gradually making the atmosphere creepy. The horrifying scene and music that appeared from time to time frightened Pei Yn so much that she grabbed the corner of his shirt and pressed herself against him. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Jiang Ye patted her back, his gentle voice out of ce in the strange atmosphere. However, hisforting words did not work. Pei Yn was so frightened that she did not even dare to put her feet out of the nket. She held on until the ending song sounded. ¡°It¡¯s half past nine.¡± Jiang Ye turned on the lights and fed her two cherries. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you go home?¡± ¡°I¡¯m scared.¡± Pei Yn stepped over his leg and sat cross-legged between his knees. ¡°You know how dark the alley outside my house is.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll let you go back alone?¡± ¡°No.¡± She looked up and pretended to be pitiful. ¡°But I¡¯m still too scared to go back.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°My parents are not at home.¡± Jiang Ye pushed aside the long hair on her cheek and asked her to spit out the core. ¡°Where¡¯s your grandfather?¡± ¡°He went to the countryside to look for Grandpa Lin.¡± ¡°What a coincidence.¡± ¡°Really!¡± Pei Yn hugged his neck, looking like she was about to cry. ¡°You actually suspect me.¡± Her sobbing voice made Jiang Ye speechless. ¡°I didn¡¯t suspect you.¡± Instead of exposing her, he asked patiently, ¡°Then what do you think we should do?¡± ¡°Let me sleep with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Pei Yn sniffed. ¡°Sleep there.¡± She pointed in the direction of the second bedroom. ¡°Is that okay?¡± Jiang Ye did not give an answer immediately. He stared into her almond-shaped eyes and his heart softened. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go home.¡± Pei Yn lowered her head and chose another tactic. ¡°In any case, there¡¯s no one to apany me. I¡¯ll sit until dawn with all the lights on.¡± ¡°Where do you n to sit until dawn?¡± ¡°The balcony.¡± She went full swing with her acting. ¡°I¡¯m resistant to the cold. I won¡¯t catch a cold.¡± Jiang Ye had never realized that she was so good at acting. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll be blown away.¡± He smiled helplessly and pressed his forehead against hers. ¡°Do you remember what I said before?¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ... ¡°I want to take it one step at a time with you.¡± Pei Yn pursed her lips. ¡°I remember.¡± She tightened her grip on him. ¡°Jiang Ye, I just want to spend more time with you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jiang Ye was the same. He kissed her eyshes. ¡°No next time.¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t do it, I¡¯ll reconsider whether or not to live together with you in the future.¡± Pei Yn really did not dare to go back on her word this time. For the sake of her uing sweet life, she did not forget to lock the door before falling asleep to avoid sleep-walking to find him. The endless starry night was reced by the sun. At noon, Jiang Ye, who had eight million followers, posted an official Weibo post at eleven o¡¯clock. Jiang Ye: ¡°I just want to spend the long years with her in peace. /photo/.¡± ... The photo posted was very sweet. He stood under the streemp with his arm around the person he liked and lowered his head to kiss the top of her head. ¡°Finally! You¡¯ve finally found the person you like after searching for so many years! Flowers.jpg.¡± ¡°I wish you happiness with tears in my eyes.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet, but I¡¯m already stuffed with dog food¡­¡± ¡°I hope she cherishes you.¡± ¡°Jiang Ye in love is so gentle.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll also spend the long years with you. Love.jpg.¡± Most of the fans were against his rtionship, so thements section was very harmonious. After Pei Yn finished reading his Weibo, she smiled sweetly. ¡°Jiang Ye, I like you so much.¡± She hugged Jiang Ye and rubbed her cheek against him. Her soft hair brushed past his neck, making his heart flutter. ¡°I like you too.¡± Jiang Ye hugged her. ¡°I especially like you.¡± Pei Yn caught the affection in his eyes and couldn¡¯t help but raise her chin to kiss him. As they breathed, the joy in their hearts deepened and their hearts got closer and closer. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± After the kiss, she leaned on his shoulder. ¡°Where are we going to y this afternoon?¡± ¡°How about the aquarium?¡± ¡°Where is it?¡± ¡°Close to the outskirts.¡± Jiang Ye showed her the photos of the aquarium. ¡°I¡¯ll go change first.¡± Not long after he walked into the bedroom, Pei Yn, who had finished looking at the photos, took a screenshot of his Weibo post and sent it to the WeChat group with her besties. Lin Jiao asked, ¡°What photo did he post?¡± Qian Yue: ¡°A passionate kiss?¡± Chapter 175 - 175 Can We Be Together? 175 Can We Be Together? ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn sent the photo Jiang Ye posted. ¡°He¡¯s too good at finding angles.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°Yn.¡± Jiang Ye came out after changing and interrupted their conversation. ¡°Do you want to put on makeup?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put on lipstick.¡± Her skin was fair and there were no spots or pores. She could go out without makeup. ¡°We¡¯re going out. Let¡¯s talk tonight,¡± Pei Yn sent a message in the group chat. After putting on her lipstick, she was led out by Jiang Ye. On the other end of the screen, Qian Yue put down her phone and was about to take a nap when she received a call from Zhou Yanshen. ¡°Qianyue.¡± His gentle voice entered her ears like an electric current. ¡°Are you up?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°What time is it more appropriate for me to pick you up?¡± ¡°Four or five o¡¯clock?¡± She turned overzily, unwilling to leave the warm bed. ¡°I haven¡¯t slept enough.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± When Zhou Yanshen heard her yawn, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°Then I¡¯lle at five.¡± ¡°Where are we going tonight?¡± ¡°Secret.¡± Qian Yue was too sleepy to guess. She slept until the rm rang at four o¡¯clock. After dressing, she went out to meet him. ¡°You just finished meeting a client?¡± She fastened her seatbelt and looked at the suit he was wearing. ¡°No.¡± Zhou Yanshen did not exin further. He stepped on the elerator and drove out of the city. The restaurant, which was located halfway up the mountain, was shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun. The blue pool at the door was decorated with a bright light, like ayer of gauze dancing on the water. The cobblestone road by the pool led to the entrance of the restaurant. Through the sensor door, there was a small indoor fountain. asionally, one could see goldfish wagging their tails and ying happily in the water. Zhou Yanshen held Qian Yue¡¯s waist and walked up the European-style staircase to the private room by the window on the second floor. The roof of the private room was triangr and was made of ss, through which one could admire the sky. He pulled out the chair at the dining table and pressed the call bell on the right, signaling the waiter to serve the dishes. ¡°This ce is so beautiful.¡± Qian Yue looked at the mountains in the distance through the French window, admiring the beautiful scenery carved by nature. She rested her elbows on the table, her curly chestnut hair hanging in front of her shoulders. ¡°How did you find out about this ce?¡± ¡°My secretary rmended it.¡± Zhou Yanshen hung up the coat he had just taken off and sat opposite her. He tidied the cor of his suit and stared deeply at her side profile. ¡°This shop has just opened. There aren¡¯t many people yet.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Qian Yue said, ¡°As long as they do a little publicity, business will definitely be booming.¡± ¡°But they only serve five tables of customers a day.¡± ¡°The boss of this restaurant is interesting.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen took two sips of lemonade and looked at the waiter who pushed the dining cart in. ¡°He¡¯s probably opening it for fun.¡± ¡°The dishes are ready.¡± The waiter ced the dishes he had ordered in advance on the table. ¡°Please enjoy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Qian Yue picked up her chopsticks. Eating under the setting sun was a very romantic thing. Even the food became special. She tasted the drooling delicacies and shared the interesting news with Zhou Yanshen in this undisturbed environment. ¡°There¡¯s cream at the corner of your mouth.¡± Zhou Yanshen stared at those juicy lips, unable to look away. ¡°Where?¡± ¡°To the left.¡± Qian Yue wiped it with a tissue. She looked up. Before she could ask if she had wiped it clean, the faint smell of tobo reached her nose. Zhou Yanshen, who was leaning forward, reached out his well-defined hand and ced his finger on the corner of her lips. As soon as they got closer, their gazes inevitably met, and the atmosphere became strange. ¡°Left from my side.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked into those eyes and smiled. He brushed her hair away from her ear, his actions so alluring that Qian Yue¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt the warmth of his fingers and the tips of her ears turned red. ¡°Is it clean?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen sat back down. He scooped up a spoonful of dessert and put it in his mouth to taste. As if he felt that it was too sweet, he put down the spoon. ¡°Where will you spend Chinese New Year this year?¡± ¡°Lin City.¡± Qian Yue¡¯s parents were temporarily away. ¡°They¡¯lle back during the holidays.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not so bad.¡± They were leaving for Italy on the third day after Chinese New Year. It would be a lot of trouble if she had to take a trip back to Lin City. ¡°And you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll spend time with my old man.¡± Qian Yue had never heard him mention his parents, so she was very curious. ¡°Are Uncle and the others overseas?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen lowered his eyes and puffed on his cigarette. His expression was calm. ¡°Theye back twice every six months, but we hardly see each other.¡± ... ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We quarrel the moment we meet. I can¡¯t be bothered to see them.¡± Qian Yue did not ask further. She looked at the clouds that were covered by the night sky and changed the topic. ¡°It gets dark early in winter. Even the stars are out early.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°There are four lining up over there.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked in the direction she was pointing. He looked at the watch and guessed that they had probably set up the venue. He stood up and said, ¡°Qian Yue, let¡¯s go out and walk around.¡± Qian Yue followed him out. As they walked along the corridor, Zhou Yanshen suddenly stopped in his tracks. ¡°Close your eyes first.¡± ¡°Close my eyes?¡± Qian Yue had a vague guess. ... At Zhou Yanshen¡¯s signal, she reached out her right hand and ced it on his palm. ¡°Is there a surprise for me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Zhou Yanshen let her go up the steps. He held her hand and walked to the open-air garden. Then he gave the two waiters at the side a look. When the beautiful violin music sounded, he whispered into Qian Yue¡¯s ear, ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡± Qian Yue¡¯s eyshes fluttered. What entered her sight was candles forming a heart shape. She stood in the middle of the candles, her feet covered in rose petals. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who was holding a bouquet of red roses, stood outside the heart and called her name softly. He looked into her eyes. Perhaps it was the first time he had officially confessed to his girlfriend, but he had already forgotten the opening line he had thought of. He subconsciously got to the point. ¡°Can we be together?¡± The light from the LED light softened his face and silently magnified the gentleness in his eyes. For a moment, Qian Yue really wanted to pounce into his arms. She clenched her fists at her sides and gradually regained her senses. ¡°Mr. Zhou, do you like me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Zhou Yanshen thought that he liked her and that he could do what Lin Jiao said. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure.¡± He was telling the truth. ¡°But you give me a very different feeling.¡± Chapter 176 - 176 Don’t Push Me Away 176 Don¡¯t Push Me Away When they were together, he felt veryfortable. He was trying to get to know her and care about her. At least, he was not as irresponsible as he used to be. Qian Yue could feel that he liked her, but it was far from enough. ¡°Mr. Zhou.¡± She suppressed the urge to fall in love and rejected him tactfully. ¡°I think it¡¯s too soon.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know enough about each other. If we get together too quickly, I¡¯ll feel insecure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you the sense of security you want.¡± Zhou Yanshen¡¯s expression was unprecedentedly serious. ¡°Qian Yue, trust me, okay?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about whether I trust you or not.¡± Qian Yue took two steps forward and looked up at him. ¡°Mr. Zhou, I still need time.¡± The feeling of being rejected for the first time made him feel powerless. Zhou Yanshen held her hand. The moment he felt her body temperature, his helplessness turned intopromise. He asked in a low voice, ¡°How long do I have to wait?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Qian Yue did not give a specific time, but she would not disappoint him. A conflicted look shed across her eyes. ¡°Maybe a week. Maybe a month.¡± Zhou Yanshen could feel that she was having a hard time making a decision. He did not force her or push her. He just stared at her with burning eyes. ¡°Do you have feelings for me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qian Yue nced at him and lowered her head in embarrassment. ¡°Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t go out with you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡± Zhou Yanshen let out a long breath and couldn¡¯t help but pull her into his arms. ¡°When you think through it one day, remember to give me a hint.¡± ¡°Why do I have to give you a hint?¡± ¡°So that I can confess to you again.¡± Qian Yue smiled. ¡°Alright.¡± She fiddled with the roses in front of her. ¡°Thank you for all this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stand on ceremony with me.¡± Zhou Yanshen let go of her hand and handed her the roses. ¡°Can you keep the flowers?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go in first.¡± Qian Yue turned around to look at the well-decorated venue. She remembered it deep in her heart and smiled sweetly and happily while he could not see. From that day onwards, Zhou Yanshen became even more attentive. Not only would he spend a lot of time with her, but he would also run a few kilometers to buy her favorite delicacies. He would even personally choose gifts for her. From bags to essories, he had given out countless gifts. In just half a month, he had invested much more in her than in any other rtionship he had been in before. He had also unknowingly deepened his feelings for her. He was prepared to be epted by her, but he did not expect that a woman who came out of nowhere would ruin everything. ¡°President Zhou.¡± At the elevator door on the top floor of Star River, Yu Hui called out to Zhou Yanshen, who was about to go downstairs. In order to get a chance to interact with Zhou Yanshen, she deliberately tried to build a good rtionship with the staff on the top floor. She only wanted toe up and meet him. Naturally, she did not want to miss this excellent opportunity. ¡°Do you have time?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I want to talk to you.¡± Star River had too many celebrities, so Zhou Yanshen really had no impression of her. However, he still showed her some respect and stopped in his tracks. He said calmly, ¡°Get to the point.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Taking advantage of the fact that there was no one around, Yu Hui mustered her courage and said, ¡°I¡¯ve liked you for a long time.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°Can you give me a chance?¡± Zhou Yanshen raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in you.¡± ¡°What type do you like? I can change myself to suit your taste.¡± ¡°No matter what who you be, it¡¯s useless.¡± He smiled. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Yu Hui¡¯s eyes instantly turned red. She bit her lower lip, and tears welled up in her eyes. ¡°President Zhou, you haven¡¯t even tried to get to know me.¡± ¡°Do you think I have time to y with you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t expect to stay by your side for long, even if it¡¯s three days or a week. I just hope you can pay more attention to me.¡± ¡°You mean you want to be my sugar baby?¡± Zhou Yanshen sized her up, not knowing where she got the courage to make this request. ¡°If you want.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Seeing that he refused, Yu Hui deliberately took two steps forward and fell on him. Zhou Yanshen subconsciously held her arm. Just as he was about to let go, a stic bag hit his back andnded on the ground with a bang. He turned around and happened to see a familiar face in the slowly closing elevator. ¡°Qian Yue!¡± He strode forward and pressed the elevator button to let the elevator stop. ... ¡°President Zhou, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Hui walked to his side in confusion, as if she wanted to repeat her old trick. Her approach made Zhou Yanshen extremely angry. ¡°Get lost!¡± He pushed her away and walked into the other elevator, quickly closing the door. It only took him dozens of seconds to reach the first floor, but it felt especially long to him. Even his thoughts were extremely chaotic. Fortunately, he was notte. As soon as he walked into the hall, he saw Qian Yue. ¡°Qian Yue, let me exin.¡± ¡°Let go!¡± Qian Yue retreated, trying to break free from his hand. ¡°I saw it with my eyes. What do you want to exin?¡± She looked at him coldly with her red eyes. Even her voice became choked. Zhou Yanshen¡¯s heart felt like it had been pierced by a needle. Instead of letting go, he tightened his grip. ¡°That person sprained her ankle just now. I was just helping her up. I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°She¡¯s already in your arms!¡± When Qian Yue shouted at him, tears rolled down the corners of her eyes. Her lips trembled slightly. ¡°I thought you would reject another woman for me. Apparently, I overestimated myself.¡± ... Her tears made Zhou Yanshenpletely panic. ¡°Qian Yue, don¡¯t cry, okay?¡± He gently wiped her tears away. ¡°I really didn¡¯t do anything to let you down.¡± In the past, when his ex-girlfriends cried in front of him, he never felt so bad. But now¡­ He felt extremely ufortable. ¡°How can I trust you?¡± Qian Yue pushed his shoulder away, unwilling to let him touch her. She told him about her grievances. ¡°You told me¡­ that you wanted to eat pan-fried buns at the entrance of my hospital. I went to buy it for you after the surgery this morning. I was afraid that it would turn cold, so I kept it in my coat. In the end, you treated me like this.¡± Zhou Yanshen¡¯s heart ached even more. ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± For the first time in his life, he put down his dignity in front of a woman. ¡°Qian Yue, I promise to keep a distance from them. This will never happen again. Can you forgive me?¡± Qian Yue did not soften her heart because of his attitude and soft tone, nor did she n to let it go. ¡°Stop it.¡± She was crying so hard that her voice was trembling. ¡°I want some time alone.¡± ¡°Let me keep youpany.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who was pushed away again, held her waist tightly, as if he wanted to glue himself to her. He said hoarsely, ¡°Qian Yue, don¡¯t push me away.¡± Chapter 177 - 177 Play Hard to Get 177 y Hard to Get ¡°Mr. Zhou.¡± She took a deep breath and said rationally, ¡°Can we give each other some space?¡± Zhou Yanshen knew that she was determined to leave. He rested his chin on her shoulder and chose to give in helplessly. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t cry again.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Qian Yue pulled his hand away. !! She looked up at him and got into a taxi by the roadside without saying anything else. Through the car window, she could feel Zhou Yanshen looking at her, but she did not look back. ¡°Miss, where are you going?¡± The taxi driver put down his phone and stepped on the elerator. ¡°Sycamore Road.¡± Qian Yue stopped crying and took out her phone to send a WeChat message to her besties. She got out of the car on Sycamore Road and walked into the milk tea shop. ¡°What happened between you and Brother Yanshen?¡± Lin Jiao stared at her red eyes, looking a little anxious. Pei Yn frowned. ¡°Tell us quickly. We¡¯ll think of a way together.¡± Qian Yue exined under their concerned gazes. She exined everything clearly and did not forget to repeat what he had said at that time. Pei Yn asked, ¡°Did you see that woman fall into his arms on purpose?¡± ¡°I also heard him refuse that woman.¡± ¡°Then why are you crying?¡± Qian Yue blinked and smiled. ¡°I want to use this chance to make him keep a distance from those women. It¡¯s best if he can be as loyal as Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°So you were acting from beginning to end?¡± ¡°Not entirely.¡± She took two sips of milk tea. ¡°It¡¯s true that I bought pan-fried buns. It¡¯s also true that I felt bad.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Lin Jiao was very empathetic and knew how she felt. ¡°If it were me, I would feel bad too.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Pei Yn could not even stand the thought of the scene. ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Much better.¡± Qian Yue leaned back in her chair. ¡°Actually, quarreling can also improve the rtionship. In the future, when you are angry, quarrel. Don¡¯t keep it to yourself.¡± ¡°Do we have to cry while quarreling?¡± ¡°It depends.¡± She started ss again. ¡°Don¡¯t cry if it¡¯s not something serious. Crying too much will make the other party want to stay away from you.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Pei Yn took a mental note of it. She held her rumbling stomach and first sent a WeChat message to the boss next door to ask him to send her rice noodles. ¡°Which noodles do you want?¡± Lin Jiao put down her milk tea cup. ¡°Seafood.¡± She waited for Qian Yue to finish ordering before asking, ¡°How long do you n to leave him hanging?¡± ¡°At least a week.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t see him for a week?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qian Yue stirred the toppings. ¡°If he really wants to be with me, he¡¯ll think it through during this period of time.¡± Pei Yn asked, ¡°About what?¡± Qian Yue said, ¡°He has too many women around him. Simr things will happen again. I hope he can handle everything well while I¡¯m not around.¡± Lin Jiao understood. ¡°Brother Yanshen knows what he should do and shouldn¡¯t, but he¡¯s not as considerate as Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Yes, I want him to strengthen that part.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll definitely learn after this lesson.¡± Pei Yn moved the milk tea cup away to make room for the rice noodles. She pushed the bowl forward. ¡°Hurry up and eat.¡± Qian Yue tore open the wrapper of the chopsticks. While she was eating the steaming rice noodles, Zhou Yanshen was rummaging through the trash can at the other end. He found the stic bag that was thrown away by the cleaner, took out the square box inside, and walked straight back to the CEO¡¯s office. ¡°President Zhou, this document needs your signature.¡± The secretary knocked on the door and entered with a document. ¡°Ok.¡± Zhou Yanshen wiped his freshly washed hands. He picked up a piece of cold pan-fried bun and browsed through the document as he put it into his mouth. Every time he chewed, he would see Qian Yue crying and saying that she was keeping the pan-fried bun in her coat. ¡°Drink some water.¡± The secretary poured him a ss. Seeing that he was in a bad mood, she did not ask further. Zhou Yanshen¡¯s thoughts were pulled back by her. He let out a long breath and signed his name at the end of the document. He picked up the second piece of pan-fried bun and said, ¡°Turn down tonight¡¯s social gathering.¡± The secretary paused for a moment. ¡°Alright.¡± She picked up the document and asked him, ¡°Are you going to attend the banquet President Xiao is holding?¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Eight o¡¯clock the night after tomorrow.¡± Zhou Yanshen agreed. ¡°You can leave.¡± He finished the pan-fried buns in the box, closed the curtains, andy on the sofa alone. He opened the chat box with Qian Yue. ¡°Qian Yue, I just finished eating the pan-fried buns.¡± ¡°What happened today is my fault. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future and won¡¯t let you down again.¡± ¡°Can we meet tomorrow night?¡± Zhou Yanshen waited until night fell, but he did not see the reply he wanted to see the most. ... He sat on the carpet in the living room and took a sip of red wine. He couldn¡¯t stop the urge to call her. Beep¡ªBeep¡ª It wasn¡¯t answered. Anxious and uneasy, he dialed the number again, but she hung up. Qian Yue: ¡°I¡¯ll have a gathering tomorrow night.¡± Seeing the message from her, he finally felt relieved. ¡°Then when are you free?¡± She replied ten minutester, ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet.¡± Zhou Yanshen could feel that she was still angry. He rubbed his wine ss. In order to give her enough space, he could only suppress the thought of seeing her for the time being. ¡°Are you busy today?¡± ¡°Very busy.¡± ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ... ¡°I¡¯m about to eat.¡± Her words were curt, making him unable to continue the conversation. In the next two days, Zhou Yanshen would report his schedule to her at all times. Even if they did not meet, he would try his best to make her happy. Including when he went to the Ryder Hotel to attend the banquet, he would take a photo and take the opportunity to chat with her. A group of celebrities and investors gathered at the round table. All of them had just the right smile on their faces. They looked like they were chatting happily, but in fact, they had their own thoughts. Xiao Hexu, who was holding the banquet, looked around the hall and locked his gaze on a person. He walked to the sofa on the left and sat down beside Zhou Yanshen. ¡°Is something on your mind?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked up. He looked at Xiao Hexu, who was twenty years older than him, and smiled. ¡°I heard your son is back?¡± Tianxu Pictures, founded by Xiao Hexu, focused on marketing and distributing online dramas, movies, and television dramas. Tianxu and Star River worked together all year round. In addition, they had seen each other many times, so they were quite familiar with each other. ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Hexu crossed his legs and held a cigar between his fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to him when hees over.¡± ¡°How old is he?¡± ¡°Twenty-eight. Two months younger than you.¡± Zhou Yanshen turned off his phone and asked casually out of boredom, ¡°Which country did he stay in before?¡± ¡°Spain.¡± As soon as Xiao Hexu finished speaking, a man who looked a little like him walked over. Chapter 178 - 178 Give Each Other Some Space 178 Give Each Other Some Space ¡°Dad.¡± Xiao Song stopped in front of him. The smile on his face gave off a gentle feeling, as if he was easy to get along with. ¡°Why are you drinking wine?¡± ¡°The waiter gave it to me.¡± ¡°The alcohol content is too high.¡± He reminded Xiao Hexu to watch his health. ¡°I¡¯ll get you another ss.¡± !! Xiao Hexu smiled and took the ss from him. He turned around and introduced the two of them. ¡°Yanshen is the same age as you. You can learn from him.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Xiao Song raised his ss to toast Zhou Yanshen. He had heard of Zhou Yanshen before. ¡°Didn¡¯t CEO Zhou bring a femalepanion?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then should I find one for you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Zhou Yanshen leaned back, smokeing out of his lips. ¡°I have a girlfriend.¡± ¡°When did it happen?¡± Xiao Hexu looked at him through the smoke and teased, ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see any media report about it?¡± Every time he had a rtionship, he would be on the trending searches. ¡°Last week.¡± Zhou Yanshen tapped the cigarette casually. ¡°She¡¯s not in the entertainment industry.¡± Hearing that, Xiao Hexu understood. ¡°I¡¯ll take Xiao Song to toast people over there.¡± Xiao Hexu wanted to introduce more people to Xiao Song and did not n to sit here for too long. Zhou Yanshen nodded faintly. He sat alone in the corner, wanting to avoid unnecessary conversation, but someone still came to disturb him. ¡°President Zhou, cheers?¡± A beautifully dressed female celebrity showed up in front of him. Zhou Yanshen, who had learned his lesson once, casually moved to the side, unwilling to get close to her. He did not look at her twice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be sorry about?¡± The female celebrity did not seem to understand his rejection and even winked at him. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drink.¡± ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± Seeing that she was getting closer, Zhou Yanshen nced at her coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to lose your job, get lost.¡± Under the dim light, his cold gaze made the female celebrity shiver. She left tactfully. Not long after that, another woman came. Zhou Yanshen, who had rejected four or five people in a row, picked up his coat in frustration and strode out. ¡°Yanshen!¡± Qiao Rou chased after him. She picked up her dress with her slender hand and stopped in front of him. ¡°Are you leaving?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I have a headache. Can you send me home?¡± Zhou Yanshen pressed the elevator button. ¡°There are many taxis downstairs. Pick one.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not safe at this hour.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only ten o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still afraid.¡± Qiao Rou adjusted her shawl and walked into the elevator with him. Zhou Yanshen looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid of meeting crazy fans and perverts.¡± ¡°You¡¯re overthinking it.¡± Qiao Rou pouted. ¡°Yanshen.¡± Her voice was soft. ¡°Send me home.¡± Zhou Yanshen could understand her hint, but he did not want to y with her. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± He strode out of the elevator that stopped on the first floor. ¡°My girlfriend is still waiting for me.¡± ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Qiao Rou¡¯s expression changed. She deliberately took two steps forward, wanting to bump into his broad back. ¡°Yanshen, help me up¡­¡± Chapter 179 - 179 Birthday Banquet for the Old Man 179 Birthday Banquet for the Old Man Zhou Yanshen frowned and subconsciously dodged to the side. Bang¡ª Qiao Rou, who was caught off guard, fell to the ground. She gritted her teeth in pain. ¡°Yanshen, it hurts.¡± Zhou Yanshen knew at a nce that she had a bad fall. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and kept a distance from her. ¡°Can you get up?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± In order to get his sympathy, Qiao Rou put on a pitiful expression. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to help you up.¡± Zhou Yanshen called two female employees over at the front desk and watched as they helped Qiao Rou to the sofa. What he did made Qiao Rou dumbfounded. ¡°Yanshen.¡± She reached out to grab his hand, but she missed. ¡°Can you hug me?¡± ¡°Are you daydreaming?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Call an ambnce for her.¡± Zhou Yanshen, who had lost his patience, turned around and left. He met the designated driver at the door and returned home in the hazy night. He tried his best to talk to Qian Yue. ¡°Location.¡± ¡°Friday, the old man¡¯s birthday banquet.¡± Two concise messages popped up. Zhou Yanshen found the birthday gift he had prepared in the study and went to the Lin family¡¯s vi on Friday. It was rare for Lin Hongyuan to hold a birthday banquet for Lin Kanglu. He originally wanted to invite all the famous people in Lin City, but Lin Kanglu refused this idea. Therefore, he only invited the Pei and Chu families, as well as Zhou Yanshen and Shen Yi. The garden outside the vi was specially decorated. Whether it was the branches, flowerpots, or railings, they were all hung with rednterns of different sizes. The stone path leading to the living room was also covered with a red carpet, showing the festive atmosphere. ¡°Dad, have some tea.¡± Fang Liu poured him a cup of tea and brought it to him with both hands. Lin Kanglu took the teacup and took two sips. He tugged at the hem of his Tang suit and looked at her kindly. ¡°Where did Hongyuan go again?¡± ¡°He went to the entrance of the neighborhood to pick up Uncle Chu and the others.¡± ¡°Is there a need to pick them up?¡± Fang Liu scooped up a spoonful of cake. ¡°There are many residents in this neighborhood. He¡¯s afraid they won¡¯t be able to find here.¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s too excited.¡± Lin Hongyuan had been busy doing this and that since early in the morning. Those who did not know better would think that he was the one having birthday. ¡°He¡¯s nervous.¡± Fang Liu was about to tell him why when her stomach churned again. Seeing that she was retching, Lin Kanglu patted her back twice. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Maybe I ate something I shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Get Hongyuan to apany you to the hospital.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Fang Liu took two sips of water to warm her ufortable stomach. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine after taking some pills.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take pills casually.¡± Lin Kanglu asked Fang Liu to make an appointment with a doctor, his strong attitude mixed with concern. Fang Liu agreed with a smile, afraid that he would be worried. The moment she put down her phone, footsteps came from the door and several faces appeared. ¡°Old Lin.¡± Chu Kui nced at the rednterns hanging in the living room and clicked his tongue. ¡°It looks like you¡¯re celebrating the new year.¡± ¡°Yo, you¡¯re even wearing a red jacket.¡± Pei Zhen sized up the dark red Tang suit on him. The moment the two of them entered the house, the atmosphere became lively. Chapter 180 - 180 Reunion 180 Reunion Lin Kanglu corrected him. ¡°This is called a Tang suit.¡± ¡°Only old men wear this kind of suit.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still young, unlike you.¡± Pei Zhen admired the decorations around him. ¡°Old Lin is indeed having afortable life. Look at this vi.¡± Lin Kanglu rolled his eyes at them. He knew that if he went along with them, they would continue to make fun of him, so he pretended not to hear it. ¡°Did you twoe empty-handed?¡± ¡°Of course. Are you expecting us to give you a gift?¡± Chu Kui crossed his legs and took two sips of tea. ¡°You actually have the cheek toe empty-handed.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t have money.¡± He looked at Lin Hongyuan. ¡°If we don¡¯t give gifts, will we be allowed to eat?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Hongyuan was amused by him. ¡°If you want, you can eat here with Uncle Pei for a month.¡± ¡°Look.¡± Pei Zhen gave Lin Kanglu a look and said teasingly, ¡°Your son is even more sensible than you.¡± Lin Kanglu narrowed his eyes. He looked at Old Pei and suddenlyughed. ¡°It¡¯s normal for juniors to not know manners. I won¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°Who is junior?¡± ¡°Pei Zhi calls me grandpa, so you are supposed to call me uncle.¡± ¡°Old Lin, do you have any shame?!¡± Chu Kui¡¯sughter mixed with the bickering made the living room much livelier. They were about to fight when they were stopped by Lin Hongyuan. After a while, they sat at the mahjong table as if nothing had happened. In the evening, Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao arrived at the vi. They put down the birthday gift they had prepared for Lin Kanglu and sat at the square table, looking at the mahjong tiles. ¡°Pei Zhi, give me some cash.¡± Pei Zhen did not have much cash on him. ¡°Is five hundred enough?¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Pei Zhi took out some cash from his wallet and ced it on Pei Zhen¡¯s right. He picked up the fruit te and fed Lin Jiao a cherry. ¡°How long have you been sitting at the mahjong table?¡± ¡°Not long.¡± Lin Kanglu looked up at him. ¡°Less than three hours.¡± ¡°Who won?¡± ¡°Your Uncle Chu and I.¡± ¡°Who can say for sure until the end?¡± Pei Zhen did not agree with him. ¡°Right, Hongyuan?¡± Lin Hongyuan, who had always been a noob at mahjong, nodded in agreement and asked Fang Liu to help him look at the tiles. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He took out a tile and ced it on the table. ¡°Ask Yanshen where he is.¡± ¡°He¡¯s almost there.¡± Lin Jiao spat out the fruit core and opened WeChat to look at the message she received three minutes ago. Not long after she finished speaking, Zhou Yanshen walked in unhurriedly with two gift boxes. He put his hand on Lin Kanglu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Old man, you are quite lucky today. You won so much.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Lin Kanglu smiled from ear to ear and nced at the losers on both sides proudly. He stood up midway. ¡°Hongyuan and Old Pei are about to lose everything. Let them win a few rounds.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Yanshen sat down with a cigarette in his mouth. Lin Hongyuan, who was sitting on the right, saw his bloodshot eyes clearly. ¡°Have you been fooling around outside again for the past two days?¡± In order to meet Lin Kanglu, Lin Hongyuan had ¡°bribed¡± Zhou Yanshen many times and also got closer to him over the years. He treated Zhou Yanshen as his son and gave him more love and care than Zhou Yanshen¡¯s biological parents. ¡°I¡¯m not fooling around.¡± Zhou Yanshen was used to being nagged by him, so he was not impatient. ¡°I¡¯ve been busy chasing someone recently.¡± ¡°Someone in the entertainment industry again? How many times have I told you that those women are getting close to you for fame and fortune¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s a doctor.¡± After being told that the girl Zhou Yanshen was chasing was actually Lin Jiao¡¯s friend, Lin Hongyuan reminded him, ¡°If you want to be with her, take it seriously.¡± Zhou Yanshen replied seriously, ¡°I know.¡± After they finished ying, Pei Yn and the Pei couple arrived at the vi, followed by Shen Yi and Chu Yuzhou. Chu Yuzhou¡¯s parents were still on a business trip. He slowly handed the gifts to Pei Zhi. ¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡± He took a deep breath and looked at Pei Yn. ¡°Where¡¯s Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°He¡¯s on set and can¡¯t leave.¡± ¡°What a pity. I wanted to drink with him tonight.¡± ¡°Brother Yanshen can drink with you.¡± Pei Yn held Bai Ying¡¯s arm and sat down with an ambiguous smile. They all walked into the dining room to celebrate Lin Kanglu¡¯s birthday. ¡°Grandpa, I wish you all the best.¡± Lin Jiao raised her ss and toasted him. Lin Kanglu was happy as long as Lin Jiao was around. He took out a stack of red envelopes from his pocket and stuffed one into her hand. ¡°I hope you and Pei Zhi can have a baby soon too.¡± ... ¡°It¡¯s still early.¡± Lin Jiao looked at Pei Zhi and her face suddenly turned red. The next second, Pei Zhi held her hand tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll bring you a great-grandson in two years.¡± Lin Kangluughed heartily and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait.¡± He then gave Pei Zhi another red envelope and waited for the others to toast him. After saying ¡°I wish you a long and happy life¡±, Zhou Yanshen received a red envelope too. However, before he turned around, he whispered into Lin Kanglu¡¯s ear, ¡°You¡¯ll have a granddaughter-inw soon.¡± Lin Kanglu was stunned. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He briefly exined his rtionship with Qian Yue to reassure him. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her back after the new year.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± ¡°Definitely not.¡± Lin Hongyuan, who had drunk a lot of white wine, stood up with a cup and said, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve let you down in the past. I¡¯m really happy that you¡¯re willing toe back and let me fulfill my duty as a son.¡± Some time ago, he was wondering if it would be awkward since they had not lived together for many years. ... However, the moment Lin Kanglu returned, he realized that the bond between father and son had never changed. The only thing that changed was that he wanted to follow him around every day. ¡°Let the past stay in the past.¡± Seeing that Lin Hongyuan¡¯s eyes were red, Lin Kanglu said awkwardly, ¡°Sit down. Don¡¯t embarrass me.¡± Lin Hongyuan suddenly smiled and held back his tears. The huge rock that had pressed down on him for many years finally disappeared amidst theughter and chatter. After Lin Kanglu cut the cake, the group of people either yed mahjong or chatted in the living room. Zhou Yanshen and Shen Yi each carried a box of beer and called the young ones to the lounge on the top floor. He sat on the carpet by the window and started talking about him and Qian Yue. ¡°We haven¡¯t seen each other in six days.¡± Chapter 181 - 181 Don’t Look and Don’t talk 181 Don¡¯t Look and Don¡¯t talk Lin Jiao and Pei Yn did not speak. Shen Yi, who was next to him, asked, ¡°Did you quarrel?¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a misunderstanding.¡± Zhou Yanshen opened the tab of the beer can and started talking about what happened at noon that day. He took two sips of the beer. ¡°I really just helped her up. I didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with her.¡± Pei Zhi asked, ¡°Why did you hold her up?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you help me up if you were there?¡± ¡°No.¡± He hugged Lin Jiao gently and looked at Zhou Yanshen with an expression that said, ¡°Are you so stupid as to fall for these tricks?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think too much about it at that time.¡± Zhou Yanshen really didn¡¯t notice if she was acting. ¡°Maybe she has t feet?¡± Shen Yi exined to him, ¡°For people with tfoot, it¡¯s impossible to fall without running or jumping.¡± ¡°Brother Yanshen, you¡¯re really a kind person.¡± Chu Yuzhou couldn¡¯t help but tease, ¡°There are so many olddies on the street. Aren¡¯t they enough for you to hold?¡± Zhou Yanshen was speechless. He did have the inclination to take pity on beautiful women, so he did it subconsciously out of habit. ¡°Brother Yanshen, you really should learn from Uncle.¡± Pei Yn saw that he was frowning, so she gave him an idea. Hearing her say this, Zhou Yanshen looked up at the pair of lovey-dovey lovers opposite him. He ced a soft pillow on his back and asked Pei Zhi seriously, ¡°How do you usually do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t do it.¡± Chu Yuzhou poured cold water on him. ¡°He didn¡¯t even say. How do you know I can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t hold other women.¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°Especially women who have feelings for me.¡± Zhou Yanshen was speechless. He rubbed his short hair and rubbed his ear stud with his fingertips. ¡°Other than that, is there anything else you do?¡± ¡°Keep your distance from the opposite sex.¡± ¡°To what extent?¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk to them and don¡¯t look at them.¡± He said it casually, but it was actually as difficult as ascending to the heavens for some men. Lin Jiao continued, ¡°As long as you like her enough, you will naturally prioritize her feelings.¡± ¡°To put it bluntly, you need to be willing to do it.¡± Although Shen Yi had never been in a rtionship, he knew. ¡°QIan Yue can¡¯t keep an eye on you at all times.¡± Zhou Yanshen pondered for a long time. He recalled how Qian Yue cried and really did not want that scene to happen again. ¡°I can do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I call a man!¡± Chu Yuzhou patted his shoulder in admiration. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you to take down the title of the prodigal of Lin City.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll definitely be able to make it.¡± Shen Yi could tell that Zhou Yanshen was serious this time. ¡°As for you, how many more years do you want to fool around?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t met the right person yet.¡± ¡°How can you possibly meet the right person if you mess around every day?¡± ¡°I¡¯m done messing around.¡± Chu Yuzhou nned to turn over a new leaf. ¡°I¡¯ll stay single until next year to see if there will be any sparks of love with anyone.¡± ¡°Next year? Do you mean after the first day of Chinese New Year?¡± ¡°I mean after December this year.¡± Shen Yi was speechless. He raised his beer can and clinked it with them. Seeing that Zhou Yanshen was still in a daze, he asked, ¡°Are you still thinking about her?¡± Zhou Yanshen did not hide it. ¡°Yes.¡± He was deeply tortured by his longing for her. ¡°She¡¯s still angry and refuses to see me.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you go look for her then?¡± Pei Zhi said. ¡°Now?¡± ¡°You can continue waiting if you want.¡± Zhou Yanshen was about to get up when he thought of something and stopped. ¡°I¡¯ll drink two more cans.¡± ¡°You want to get drunk to gain her sympathy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s foolproof this way.¡± Perhaps because he did not want to make any mistakes, he reminded Lin Jiao, ¡°Don¡¯t tell her.¡± Lin Jiao and Pei Yn looked at each other. Thinking that Qian Yue¡¯s one-week deadline wasing up, they agreed. ¡°Then talk it out with her tonight.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think two cans are enough.¡± Chu Yuzhou opened five cans for him in a row and said seriously, ¡°You need to smell like alcohol for her to soften heart.¡± Lin Jiao yawned. ¡°Brother Yanshen, you don¡¯t have to drink so much. How can you talk properly if you¡¯re really drunk?¡± ¡°I only drank seven cans.¡± Zhou Yanshen lowered his head and sniffed his cor that didn¡¯t smell of alcohol. ¡°I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t believe me if I go over like this.¡± ¡°Give me your jacket.¡± Pei Yn poured some beer into her palm and sprinkled it on his jacket. ¡°Do you do this often?¡± Chu Yuzhou asked curiously when he saw that Pei Yn was skillful. ¡°Very asionally.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Yanshen put on his jacket and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you all to a meal another day.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call a designated driver.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± ... Chu Yuzhou retracted his gaze and asked Pei Yn, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that Qian Yue will find out?¡± ¡°Find out what?¡± ¡°About you helping him.¡± Pei Yn rolled her eyes at him. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll disturb Qian Yue¡¯s rest if he goes toote.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so considerate.¡± ¡°Are you being sarcastic with me again?¡± Seeing that the two of them were about to bicker, Shen Yi immediately suggested ying a game. The house was filled withughter. The gradually rich fragrance of wine slipped out of the half-open door. The neon lights shed past the car window, contrasting with the trees on both sides of the road, forming a beautiful ovepping shadow. There was a distance from the vi to Qian Yue¡¯s house, but Zhou Yanshen¡¯s anticipation did not diminish at all. He got out of the car in the parking lot and took the elevator to her floor. In the silence, he pressed the doorbell. ... ¡°Who is this?¡± Qian Yue asked. No one replied. She raised her guard and looked out through the peephole. When she met that familiar face, she opened the door almost without hesitation. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Zhou Yanshen went forward and hugged her, overwhelming her with the smell of alcohol. His voice was very low. ¡°I miss you.¡± ¡°How much did you drink?¡± Qian Yue closed the door and helped him into the living room calmly. ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± When he approached the sofa, Zhou Yanshen stopped in his tracks and pretended to fall while pulling her to lie down with him. Their eyes met, and his breathing became even more rapid. He held her waist and stared at the face that he had wanted to see for a long time but could not. ¡°Qian Yue, I miss you very much.¡± ¡°You said it.¡± Qian Yue blushed at the smell of alcohol. She was clearly not drunk, but she looked like she was drunk. She avoided eye contact and tried to break free from the restraint around her waist. ¡°Mr. Zhou, let go of me first.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°You¡¯re making me ufortable.¡± Zhou Yanshen softened his grip slightly, but the difference in strength between a man and a woman still made it difficult for her to break free. He pinched her chin. ¡°Look at me.¡± Chapter 182 - 182 But He Still Went Back on His Word 182 But He Still Went Back on His Word His slightly hoarse voice resembled the sound of one stepping on fallen leaves inte autumn. Qian Yue felt like an electric current was running through her ears, hitting her nerves and tugging at her heartstrings. She was forced to look into his eyes. ¡°What do you want to say?¡± ¡°I was wrong.¡± Zhou Yanshen swallowed hard. !! He resisted the urge to kiss her crazily and stroked her skin with his fingertips. ¡°Can you forgive me?¡± It was an expected question. Qian Yue said, ¡°Mr. Zhou.¡± She moved her hands away from his chest. ¡°What I want is your partiality.¡± ¡°I can give you.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll wait until you give me that.¡± What she wanted was not just a hollow promise. Zhou Yanshen moved closer. ¡°I¡¯ll prove it to you with my actions, but you can¡¯t be absent.¡± ¡°What do you mean I can¡¯t be absent?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t ignore me and refuse to see me.¡± Qian Yue nodded slightly. ¡°I won¡¯t be absent.¡± Her soft attitude was enough to exin everything. ¡°Let go of me first.¡± ¡°Hug me again.¡± ¡°No.¡± She red at him angrily. ¡°We¡¯re not in a rtionship yet?¡± Zhou Yanshen knew that she was different from others. Out of respect, he let go of her with regret. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± He pushed himself up from the sofa, his throat extremely dry. ¡°Can you get me a ss of water?¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Qian Yue picked up the kettle. Her beautiful figure was reflected on the wall by the light. Zhou Yanshen looked away from the wall and raised his left hand to take the ss from her. He drank half of it. ¡°Are you free tomorrow?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a hot spring resort near Xiangnan Mountain. Let¡¯s go and rx?¡± Qian Yue caught the nervousness in his eyes, the nervousness of being rejected. ¡°I don¡¯t have a swimsuit.¡± She suppressed the smile in her eyes and agreed indirectly. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Zhou Yanshen couldn¡¯t help but heave a sigh of relief. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it for you tomorrow.¡± ¡°They should be selling it at the resort.¡± ¡°The style over there might not look good.¡± He only wanted to do his best to give her the best. Qian Yue nodded. She sat in the living room with Zhou Yanshen until eleven o¡¯clock. Neither of them mentioned what happened in Star River again. After agreeing on a time to meet up tomorrow, Zhou Yanshen looked at her gently before walking to the entrance. ¡°Good night.¡± The two words that contained countless emotions were even more touching than a hug. Qian Yue smiled back. ¡°Good night.¡± She held the door handle and stared at the figure wrapped in the corridor light until he disappeared from the corner before closing the door. # Under the dark night, a taxi swept past the quiet street and stopped at the entrance of Lufu Bay. The car door opened and Gu Quan, who reeked of alcohol, walked out. During this period of time, he had been busy day and night, meeting different partners at different asions and drinking wine with them. Gu Quan was very tired. He was so tired that he did not even know howte it was. However, he knew that this was the only way to secure the position of the general manager of Gu Corporation. He could not ck off. ¡°Meow¡ª¡± Two wild cats ran through the grass with their backs hunched, and the shadows that shed past condensed beside the bench. There were two mottled and worn bowls behind the bench. One was filled with water, and the other was filled with brown cat food. Gu Quan stopped in his tracks and sat on the bench. He looked down at the two cats. A memory that hadn¡¯t popped up in a long time shed through his mind, but it was clear enough. It was midsummer. Not long after Lin Jiao moved into Lufu Bay, she went out with him on a starry night to familiarize herself with the neighborhood. ¡°Gu Quan, did you hear the cat meow?¡± She looked up at the man beside her. ¡°No.¡± Gu Quan did not notice. He watched her look around and followed her to an ordinary bush. The closer they were, the more audible the meowing became. Lin Jiao followed the sound and pushed aside the weeds when two skinny wild cats entered their sight. ... ¡°They¡¯re too skinny.¡± She frowned, her clear eyes filled with love. ¡°They probably haven¡¯t eaten for a long time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a convenience store over there.¡± Gu Quan pushed aside the hair on her cheek and held her hand as they walked forward. They bought canned cat food, arge bottle of mineral water, and two blue stic bowls. He was allergic to cat fur, so he did not approach the cats during the feeding process. He just sat on the bench and watched Lin Jiao y with the cats quietly. ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± ¡°Xiao Hua, don¡¯t snatch it. There¡¯s more in the bag.¡± ¡°Good girl¡­¡± She watched as the two cats finished eating the cat food. In the end, she had no intention of bringing them home to raise. She only said to him with a smile, ¡°Gu Quan, let¡¯se to feed them every day from now on, okay?¡± Gu Quan agreed. But he went back on his word. In the beginning, Lin Jiao would talk to him about the two cats. But seeing that Gu Quan didn¡¯t seem to be interested, she stopped mentioning them. ... That summer would nevere back again. ¡°Mr. Gu.¡± The security guard with the sh walked up to him. ¡°Do you need help?¡± The dazzling light from the sh and the voice pulled Gu Quan back from his thoughts. ¡°No need.¡± He stood up and looked at the two fat cats onest time. He walked in a different direction from the security guard. With his back facing the sh that seemed to shine into his heart, he walked into the mansion. The lights in the living room were still on. Su Tian, who was watching television, heard footsteps. ¡°Quan, did you drink again?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drink much.¡± He was still sober. Gu Quan leanedzily on the sofa, too tired to say a word. However, Su Tian, who had something on her mind, could not calm down. ¡°Are you going to take a break tomorrow?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about the day after tomorrow?¡± ¡°I am not nning to take a break recently.¡± Gu Quan narrowed his eyes and looked at the oil painting hanging opposite. Su Tian leaned into his arms. ¡°You promised to bring me home before. It¡¯s been a month.¡± This period of time was very difficult for her. She was asked to keep Xiao Song¡¯s friends entertained twice a week. If she met someone kinky, she woulde back home with scars. Afraid that Gu Quan would see those scars, she had not done it with Gu Quan since she met Xiao Song. Fortunately, he was busy and was not in the mood to do it with her. However, living in fear was a torture to her, which made her yearn to marry into the Gu family more and more. Chapter 183 - 183 It’s Not Just Her Imagination 183 It¡¯s Not Just Her Imagination ¡°I¡¯ll take you back next month.¡± Gu Quan had tested his parents¡¯ attitudest week, but Gu Chengyi¡¯s attitude remained the same. He did not know if taking Su Tian home would help at all, but he still made a promise. ¡°What day next month?¡± Su Tian looked up, the hope in her eyes obvious. ¡°About the fifteenth.¡± ¡°Can you be done being busy by the fifteenth?¡± ¡°More or less.¡± He stroked her hair, too tired to even open his eyes. ¡°Tian, it¡¯s time to sleep.¡± Su Tian¡¯s back stiffened. It had been too long since they had sex, so she thought he had something on his mind. ¡°You go first.¡± She still had scars on her body, so she did not dare to have sex with him. ¡°I¡¯ll finish watching this episode.¡± Gu Quan nodded slightly before going upstairs. Hey on the bed after taking a shower. As he entered the dream, he seemed to have returned to that summer. The clouds that were covered by the night quietly appeared. The noon sun shone through the clouds, as if it could dispel the cold. Su Tian, who had woken up naturally, reached out to touch the cold pillow on her left and went downstairs under the urging of hunger. Ding dong The doorbell rang just in time. She walked down the stairs and opened the door in a few seconds. ¡°Tian Tian.¡± He Qi was like a hungry wolf. As soon as he caught his prey, he couldn¡¯t wait to bite it. Su Tian blushed. ¡°Don¡¯t be like this.¡± Seeing that he wanted to continue, she pushed his shoulder away. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten yet.¡± He Qi¡¯s heart ached for her. Half an hourter after Su Tian dressed up, he drove Su Tian to the CBD and went to the Chinese restaurant on the top floor. It was Saturday, and there were many customers in the restaurant. ¡°Tian Tian.¡± After ordering, He Qi hugged Su Tian¡¯s waist. ¡°You haven¡¯t spent time with me for a week.¡± ¡°I just joined thepany and am too busy.¡± Su Tian lied to others that she was an administrator of a mediapany. ¡°I¡¯ll find time to spend with you next week.¡± ¡°Can you be with me this afternoon?¡± He Qi did not want to wait too long. ¡°He¡¯s not around anyway.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be back in the evening.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask him after we finish eating.¡± It was rare for her to go out with him alone. He did not want to let go of this opportunity. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Su Tian had no choice but to agree. She disentangled his hand from her body. In less than two seconds, he wrapped his arms around her again. She said in frustration, ¡°I have to go to the washroom.¡± ¡°Together.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± He Qi smiled. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± No matter how eager he was, he would not mess around outside. Seeing him disappear in the male washroom, Su Tian turned around and walked into the female washroom. She pushed open the third cubicle and locked the door. Taking the little time she had, she called Gu Quan. ¡°Quan, have you eaten?¡± A sweet female voice sounded in the washroom. Lin Jiao, who was about to leave, stopped and looked at the cubicle on the left. ¡°Yes.¡± She asked again, ¡°Are you working overtime tonight too?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°Then rest well. Don¡¯t be too tired.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s thoughts were in chaos. She subconsciously followed the woman and hid behind the female washroom, watching the woman being intimate with another person. They turned to look at each other, and the side of their faces reminded Lin Jiao of the memory she had lost for a long time. ¡°They all say that you look like Su Tian, but I think you¡¯re not even a third as good as her.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a ything for me.¡± ¡°We willpensate you for what you¡¯ve done for the past two years and try our best to make it up to you.¡± ¡°If I came back earlier, you would have broken up long ago. Do you really think he loves you??¡± Countless voices sounded in Lin Jiao¡¯s mind. She leaned against the door with a splitting headache, her beautiful face turning as pale as a sheet. Like a person who did not know how to swim, she was forcefully pushed into the ocean. There was no way out or escape. Suddenly, she seemed to feel the seawater rushing towards her, like a sharp knife cutting into her nerves, making her unable to withstand the pain. Her grip on the hem of her shirt tightened. The moment she fell back, a faint fragrance of cypress swept over, and she was held up from the bone-chilling ground. She looked up before her vision blurred, but she only heard him call her ¡®Jiaojiao¡¯ gently and anxiously. Pei Zhi brought her to the hospital as quickly as possible. ... He looked at the emergency room with a cold expression. The phone in his hand was about to be crushed by him, and the veins on the back of his hand were bulging. The wind in the corridor blew. When the doctors and patients passed by him and felt the coldnessing from him, they silently quickened their pace. Only when the door of the emergency room opened and the nurse said that the patient was fine did the coldness dissipate. ¡°When will she wake up?¡± Pei Zhi walked to the bed and held her hand like it was a treasure. ¡°An hour or two.¡± ¡°Is there a need for further checkups?¡± ¡°No need.¡± The nurse summarized the results of the checkup. ¡°The blood clot on the back of her head is gone.¡± Pei Zhi was not surprised. ¡°Thank you.¡± He dragged a chair over and sat down. He said that he was prepared, but as time passed, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. He had stolen her for the past two months. He shouldn¡¯t have too much expectation, but he could not control himself from wanting more. ... His heart, which had broken out of its cage, could not be calmed down no matter what. Like a vine, it took root and grew crazily. The medical staff in the emergency room came and went. The clock pointed to two, and the person on the bed moved. Lin Jiao opened her eyes in hunger. She fluttered her long eyshes and slowly looked at the man on the right. Another round of memories swept over her. Images of hugging, sleeping in the same bed, kissing, and other intimate scenes quickly shed across her mind. She seemed to be with Pei Zhi¡­ As soon as this thought appeared, her originally pale face turned noticeably red. Perhaps because she felt that it was unrealistic, she raised her head with difficulty to confirm if the ¡®evidence¡¯ that appeared in her memory existed. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi, who had been observing her for more than ten minutes, raised his left hand to let her see the ring. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± He stroked the ring and looked at her with unrestrained affection. Lin Jiao opened her eyes and closed them again. She repeated it four or five times before finally confirming that everything in her memory was not just her imagination. Chapter 184 - 184 You Are Lying. Bad Girl 184 You Are Lying. Bad Girl Lin Jiao looked at the ceiling at a loss, her face as red as a freshly cooked tomato. She fiddled with the bedsheets, her thoughts turning into a ball of thread. Suddenly, he ced his warm palm on the back of her hand. It was like a fire brushing past her skin. It was hot and itchy. Pei Zhi tickled her skin. The calluses on his fingers were like thorns, making her arms go numb. He leaned down. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± The only response he got was a rumble from her stomach. Lin Jiao¡¯s neck turned red. She stole a nce at him and was so embarrassed that she wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. ¡°You¡­¡± His thin lips pressed against her forehead the next second. Pei Zhi kissed her lightly, helped her up, and squatted down to help her put on her shoes. His movements were natural and practiced, as if their rtionship had not changed and they were still a couple in love. Lin Jiao was led out of the emergency room like a robot without the ability to think. The way she walked made Pei Zhi want tough, but he did not dare to. However, he was not as nervous as before. He opened the passenger door and saw that she was still rooted to the ground. He raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want me to carry you?¡± Lin Jiao was stunned. ¡°No.¡± She got into the passenger seat in frustration, her face burning. ¡°What do you want to eat?¡± ¡°I want to go home.¡± Her mind was in a mess. She couldn¡¯t think while he was around. ¡°Let¡¯s go back after we finish eating.¡± Pei Zhi habitually put on her seatbelt and kissed her. ¡°Be good.¡± His gentleness was killing her. Lin Jiao followed him to the dining room in a daze and sat on the chair without saying a word, waiting for him to order. The sun was shining brightly. A few rays of lightnded on the trees outside the window and shone on her face. She sat there quietly like a painting. No matter how simple the surrounding was, as long as she was around, Pei Zhi would be attracted to her. After the waiter brought the food to the table and said that the dishes were all served, he looked away. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Pei Zhi picked up his chopsticks and ced a piece of bass in her bowl. ¡°Eat first.¡± He could understand herplicated feelings, and he never thought of asking her to give him the response he wanted immediately. In any case, she had already written the guarantee. She could not escape. Lin Jiao filled her stomach in silence. She wiped her lips and looked up at him secretly. After being caught doing it, she quickly lowered her head. Pei Zhi wanted to kiss her even more. After getting into the car again, he took a deep breath to suppress the urge to approach her. ¡°Which home do you want to go back to?¡± ¡°Ming Xin.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow?¡± His meaning was obvious. Lin Jiao rubbed her seatbelt. ¡°Un¡­¡± Just as she was about to say it, she suddenly felt that calling him ¡®Uncle¡¯ was especially strange. She pursed her lips. ¡°Pei Zhi, I have to think about it.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°A week.¡± Pei Zhi was not satisfied with the time she gave him. For the first time, he did not give in. ¡°Jiaojiao, I can¡¯t wait that long.¡± If he hadn¡¯t been with her for those two months, he might have been able to restrain himself and keep on waiting. But now, he could not wait at all. ¡°A week is not long.¡± Just as Lin Jiao nced at him from the corner of her eye, a shadow fell on her. Before she could react, a warm touchnded on her lips, causing her to stop breathing. She, who was kissed until her eyes were blurry, heard a hoarse voice. ¡°Is three days enough?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, answer me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao, who had clearly fallen into a trap, agreed without thinking. She tilted her head to calm her breathing, her heart beating like a drum all the way to the apartment. ¡°Tell me when you get home.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her again, but not as fiercely as before. He sat back down reluctantly, his voice sexy and pleasant. ¡°That was the goodnight kiss.¡± Lin Jiao left with a red face. It was Saturday. Eight or nine children were gathered in the garden to y hide-and-seek. Their yful voices slipped in through a window on the eighth floor. There wasughter downstairs and sighs upstairs. Lin Jiao, who was lying on the sofa, took two sips of the red wine from the wine cab and looked out of the window. She narrowed her eyes, her long eyshes decorated with ayer of golden light, but it could not hide the confusion in her eyes. From the moment she mistook Pei Zhi for her husband and insisted on going home with him, the scene of her being taken care of and intimate with him was like a movie ying in her mind. Every scene was filled with warmth and sweetness. At first, Lin Jiao, who was immersed in her memories, smiled involuntarily. However, when she thought of how she seduced him in her sexy nightgown and how she wanted to touch his abs, she could not bring herself to smile anymore. ... His deep eyes and the words ¡°good girl¡± that he said on the bed were like a curse that trapped Lin Jiao. She held her red cheek and put her legs on the other sofa, iling around like a fish that had identally entered a deep pool. Lin Jiao was about to go crazy. She drank the red wine in the wine ss in one gulp andy on her back with the nket in her hand. She took a few deep breaths to calm her heartbeat. Buzz¡ª The phone on the table vibrated. ¡°Jiaojiao, it¡¯s time for you to cut your nails.¡± ¡°Picture.¡± Pei Zhi sent a selfie. The camera was aimed at the scratches on his abs. She had identally left them when she touched his absst night. Lin Jiao moved the phone closer, staring at the few drops of water on his chest without blinking. He must have just taken a shower. He used the shower gel she bought some time ago. That smell¡­ ... Wait, what was she thinking? ¡°Don¡¯t send it to me again!¡± She was angry and embarrassed. ¡°Don¡¯t you like it very much?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it!¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying. Bad girl. Spank.jpg.¡± The spanking sticker triggered a lot of memories. Lin Jiao patted her burning cheeks, not nning to talk to him anymore. She threw her phone back to the table and drank two sses of red wine in a row before falling asleep to rx. It was almost seven o¡¯clock when night fell. A gust of cold wind and the doorbell broke the dream. Lin Ran went to open the room to get the takeout. The sound of the takeout bag being opened filled the room. Even through the stic box, one could smell the nice fragrance. Lin Jiao did not need to guess to know who ordered this takeout for her. She slowly finished her meal and looked absent-mindedly at the television that was not turned on. She sat on the carpet in a daze, not even knowing where her thoughts were going or when they would return. Chapter 185 - 185 She Likes Pei Zhi 185 She Likes Pei Zhi On Sunday evening, Qian Yue and Pei Yn rushed to Ming Xin Mansion with beer and skewers to help Lin Jiao solve her problems. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn opened the beer and sat cross-legged on the carpet. ¡°Let me tell you something that only you don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Uncle has liked you for many years.¡± !! Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Many years?¡± She looked up in disbelief, her voice trembling. ¡°Are you lying to me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Her expression was especially serious. ¡°Chu Yuzhou told me himself, but I¡¯m not sure how many years.¡± Qian Yue put on disposable gloves and looked at Lin Jiao, who was clearly stunned. ¡°Is it possible that it was love at first sight?¡± ¡°That¡¯s unlikely.¡± Pei Yn recalled. ¡°Jiaojiao was only eighteen years old when she met him.¡± When she was 18 years old, Pei Zhi was already 24. ¡°I was not eighteen yet.¡± Lin Jiao corrected her. ¡°The day after you brought me to meet him was New Year¡¯s Eve.¡± ¡°Underage? That¡¯s indeed unlikely.¡± ¡°I think he fell in love with you when you were in university. Ask him when the timees.¡± ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone so devoted.¡± Qian Yue fed her a piece of roasted potato. ¡°Cherish it.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She chewed on the potato, her mind filled with thoughts of the past, but she could not find any evidence that he was in love with her. Before she could go deeper into her memory, she was interrupted by Pei Yn. ¡°Did you do it with him?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Qian Yue pinched the tip of her red ear and deliberately teased, ¡°Don¡¯t be shy in front of us.¡± Lin Jiao chewed on the duck palm. ¡°During the period of time I lost my memory, he had always respected me.¡± ¡°That means all your previous ns failed.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her voice was as soft as a mosquito. If not for the fact that they were indoors, they would not have heard her clearly. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this.¡± Seeing that she was embarrassed, Pei Yn and Qian Yue looked at each other and tacitly stopped talking about this. Gradually, half of the skewers and beer on the table were gone, and the air was filled with the smell of alcohol The cold wind hidden in the night pped against the window. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s face was red from drinking, but she was still rational. ¡°Do you like him?¡± Did she like him? Lin Jiao thought of the time when she was picked up by Pei Zhi every day. She was used to his tenderness, enjoyed his consideration, and allowed him to be intimate with her. If it wasn¡¯t a sign of love, what was it? She let out a long breath. ¡°I like him.¡± After thinking about it carefully, her answer was solemn. ¡°I liked him before the ident happened.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as I thought.¡± Qian Yue did not look surprised. ¡°Without having feelings for him as a premise, even if you lost your memory, you wouldn¡¯t fall in love with him that quickly.¡± ¡°So what are your ns next?¡± Pei Yn pinched her delicate cheek twice, bringing Lin Jiao back to her senses. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± ¡°Do you have any concerns?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips. ¡°I just recovered yesterday and haven¡¯t gotten used to it yet.¡± Qian Yue understood how she felt. She took two sips of beer. ¡°Let him chase you for a while. You can consider it after you get used to it.¡± ¡°How long is a while?¡± ¡°It depends on you. Two or three days, maybe? You¡¯ve slept together anyway.¡± She was too direct. Lin Jiao held back her embarrassment and listened to her suggestion. In order to be prepared to go to the ¡®battlefield¡¯ tomorrow, Lin Jiao went to bed before midnight and fell asleep. On the other side, one of the houses in Red Maple Forest was much quieter. Without the woman in his arms, Pei Zhi could not sleep. He leaned against the bed and looked at the chat history with Lin Jiao. He looked at it a few times, wanting to ease his longing, but he fell deeper and deeper into the memory. The time spent with her here was too beautiful. It was so beautiful that it felt unreal. While smoke lingered in the bedroom. The ashtray on the table was filled with lit cigarettes. It was not until dawn that they were extinguished by a ss of water. ¡°Boss, did you not sleepst night?¡± Qu Shao realized that his eyes were dark . ¡°The blood clot is gone.¡± ¡°What blood¡­ She¡¯s back to normal?!¡± ¡°SHe recovered on Saturday.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed his eyebrows and was exhausted. ¡°Buy me breakfast.¡± ¡°No wonder she¡¯s not here,¡± Qu Shao muttered. He stopped in front of the bakery and got into the car with a stic bag in less than two minutes. ¡°Boss, do you want to go over and pick her up?¡± ¡°She didn¡¯t answer me.¡± ... ¡°She won¡¯t see you?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s lungs were in pain. ¡°She said she needs time to think about it.¡± He opened the bag of bread and took two bites expressionlessly. ¡°Do you think she can think it through?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Qu Shao pursed his lips and did not ask further. He drove to Sheng Heng. When they arrived at the CEO¡¯s office on the top floor, he asked with concern, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep first?¡± Pei Zhi took off his coat. ¡°No need.¡± He sat by the sofa and finished an hour and a half of the video conference. He drowsily flipped through the documents. The densely packed words formed several ck circles in front of him, urging him to sleep. He flipped to the fifth page and his eyelids started to droop. No matter how hard he tried to keep it open, he could not resist the surging sleepiness. ... ¡°Boss¡­¡± Qu Shao realized that he had fallen asleep and let out a long sigh. He took out a nket from the lounge and was about to cover him with it when something shed across his mind that made him stop in his tracks. Wild Cricket: ¡°Miss Lin, do you have time toe up? The boss didn¡¯t sleep all night yesterday and seems to have fainted.¡± Five minutes passed, but the other party still did not reply. Just as he was about to give up, he heard footsteps approaching. Lin Jiao pushed open the door. ¡°How is he?¡± Her breathing was ragged, and there was still panic in her eyes. She clearly cared about him. ¡°I was mistaken.¡± Qu Shao frowned in frustration. Afraid of disturbing Pei Zhi¡¯s sleep, he lowered his voice. ¡°Boss is just asleep.¡± Chapter 186 - 186 So Sleepy That She Took Advantage of Him 186 So Sleepy That She Took Advantage of Him Sunlight was blocked out by the blinds. Lin Jiao sat on the carpet on her knees and stared at the dark circles under his eyes and his slightly furrowed eyebrows. She smoothed his eyebrows and brushed her fingertips across the bridge of his nose, touching his thick eyshes. In his sleep, Pei Zhi muttered, ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± !! In the quiet environment, his hoarse voice was like a grinding board beside her ear, making her feel numb. Hearing the person she liked call her name in her dream, Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t help but smile. She looked at the time on her phone and saw that there were still neen minutes before lunch break. She did not n to go downstairs again. It was easy to get sleepy in a dark environment. After lying on the sofa and looking at him for a long time, Lin Jiao¡¯s eyelids started to droop and her feet went numb. She climbed onto the sofa where Pei Zhi was lying and closed her eyes. In a daze, she approached the source of the warmth and found afortable position. She leaned against his chest and fell asleep. Pei Zhi, whose arm was being pressed down, habitually held the person in his arms tightly. It was only when a familiar rm clock rang that Pei Zhi opened his eyes slightly and reached for the phone on the bedside table that he realized that something was wrong. The rm clock stopped ringing three secondster. Lin Jiao, who was leaning in his arms, seemed to be dissatisfied with him moving around. She tightened her grip on his cor. The worry, frustration, and uncertainty that hadsted for two days were swept away at this moment. Pei Zhi moved his lips down from her forehead to the tip of her nose. He stared at her red lips like a hunter eyeing his prey and kissed her without hesitation, wanting to taste her sweetness. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Lin Jiao, who was woken up by the kiss, met his deep eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. She pushed him away the moment she was about to run out of breath. She was stunned by a lowugh and her face turned red. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you miss me?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s palmnded on her butt. Perhaps he felt that two pats was not enough, so he pinched it gently. This was something he had never done before. Lin Jiao felt an electric current running through her body. Even her heart was racing. She red at him. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why did youe up?¡± ¡°Brother Qu said you fainted. I came to take a look.¡± ¡°Take a look?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s breathnded on her skin, making it impossible for her to avoid it. ¡°Take a look in my arms.¡± Lin Jiao was speechless. She avoided his gaze, her eyshes fluttering twice a second. ¡°I was just too sleepy.¡± ¡°Yes, so sleepy that you took advantage of me.¡± ¡°Who took advantage of who? I didn¡¯t do anything to you when I was lying here. You kissed me first.¡± ¡°You touched me.¡± Pei Zhi held her hand and ced it on his abs with a serious expression. ¡°Otherwise, why do you think I woke up?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch you!¡± ¡°You did.¡± His firm tone made Lin Jiao waver. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°So what if I touched you? You touched me too.¡± ¡°Where did I touch you?¡± ¡°There.¡± Pei Zhi was amused by her answer. He kissed her lips again gently and lightly. ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡± ¡°How is that even? You clearly¡­¡± ¡°You still want to kiss me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao lifted the nket and put on her shoes. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the nning department.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist from behind. He looked sideways at the fine hair on her cheek and asked with a smile, ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll eat together then.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s rejection was futile. She watched as he opened the stic bag Qu Shao sent over and approached him unhurriedly. He picked up a piece of sweet and crispy fish and brought it to her lips. She took a bite without hesitation, swallowed the fish, and stole a nce at him. There were a few times when she wanted to say something but hesitated. ¡°Shall I send you back after work?¡± Pei Zhi took out a tissue and wiped her lips skillfully. ¡°No need.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you have something to tell me?¡± He could tell. Lin Jiao did not deny it. ¡°I want to eat seafood from that restaurant in the city. Bring it back tonight.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the ring on her finger, not panicking at all about their conversation tonight. ... He leaned against the sofa. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Come and get kissed.¡± Lin Jiao returned to her desk at two-fifteen. She pursed her slightly swollen lips and realized that their rtionship was not clear enough. She opened the WeChat chat box and kept typing on the keyboard with her thumbs. ¡°Don¡¯t kiss me without my permission.¡± ¡°Be a good girl and I¡¯ll kiss you tonight.¡± He did it on purpose. Lin Jiao ignored him. She focused on her work and perfected the two pending proposals before sending them to Zheng Yi before she got off work at six. When rush hour arrived, there was a traffic jam. ... As time passed, the afterglow of the setting sun gradually faded away from the horizon, leaving only a few faint lights. Downstairs in Unit 9, many residents holding ingredients and children were waiting at the elevator door, chatting with their neighbors. As soon as they arrived on the eighth floor, the sound of conversation was drowned out by the closing elevator door, causing the surroundings to fall silent. When Lin Jiao returned home, she changed into her pajamas. She turned on the heater and sat cross-legged on the carpet, watching television as she waited for him. At almost seven-thirty, the doorbell rang. Pei Zhi stood at the entrance and changed his shoes. He ced a bag of packed seafood on the coffee table before leaning over to kiss her cheek. ¡°You haven¡¯t finished watching this drama?¡± He took off his coat and nced at the LCD screen when he sat down beside her. ¡°There are four or five more episodes.¡± Lin Jiao took out a stic box filled with different seafood. Her eyes lit up. ¡°It smells so good.¡± ¡°Glutton.¡± Pei Zhi tapped the tip of her nose. He opened the box and fed her a piece of oyster meat. Then, he put on gloves and peeled the prawns. ¡°How does it taste?¡± Lin Jiao was very satisfied. ¡°Not bad.¡± She scooped up the oyster meat with a spoon and fed it to him. ¡°This is very nourishing for men.¡± Pei Zhi raised an eyebrow and looked at her meaningfully. ¡°Do you think I need it?¡± His gaze became deeper and deeper, like an endless whirlpool that wanted to pull her into it. Lin Jiao turned around the next second. She ate the oyster herself, her ears covered in a faint redness. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡± ¡°Then what do you mean?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything in particr. Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild.¡± ¡°It seems like¡ª¡± Pei Zhi deliberately dragged out thest word and smiled mischievously. ¡°It¡¯s time for me to prove myself.¡± Chapter 187 - 187 When Did You Fall in Love with Me? 187 When Did You Fall in Love with Me? Even without looking at him, Lin Jiao could feel his burning gaze on her face. She waved away the image that appeared in her mind and said without thinking, ¡°You¡¯re very good. You don¡¯t need to prove yourself.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s smile widened. ¡°Really?¡± He suddenly closed the distance between them. ¡°Tell me how good I am.¡± ¡°The seafood is getting cold.¡± !! ¡°Change the topic? Looks like I¡¯m not good enough.¡± Lin Jiao didn¡¯t fall for his trap. ¡°Be serious.¡± She stuffed a prawn into his mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t talk.¡± Her face was even redder than a prawn¡¯s shell. Pei Zhi was afraid that he would tease her too much to make her angry, so he let her off for the time being and thought about discussing this matter in the future. He followed her gaze and looked at the LCD screen. asionally, he would ask about the plot and unknowingly finished dinner with her. ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± Lin Jiao waited for him to clean up the coffee table before pulling him to sit on the sofa. ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it.¡± Pei Zhi met her serious eyes and stopped acting frivolously. He took her hand and gestured for her to continue. ¡°I want to start over with you.¡± She held his warm hand. ¡°What happened before was too sudden. Although we¡¯ve been through a lot, that was when I lost my memory.¡± Pei Zhi was not surprised at all. He leaned over and hugged her waist. ¡°Jiaojiao, I don¡¯t want to start from being friends with you. Can we skip this stage?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I wanted to be friends with you.¡± Lin Jiao gave him a look to let him understand. She coughed lightly. ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°Get married directly?¡± Pei Zhi pretended not to understand. ¡°I have to find a good wedding day.¡± ¡°In your dreams.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that so?¡± He grabbed the hand that was pinching his waist and said, ¡°Then do you want me to woo you?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart raced, but she looked calm. Pei Zhi smiled and agreed. ¡°Alright.¡± He indeed hadn¡¯t confessed his love to her seriously. ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± Lin Jiao looked at his face and asked what she wanted to know the most at this moment. ¡°When did you fall in love with me?¡± ¡°Four years ago.¡± ¡°Four years¡­¡± Her eyes zed over as bitterness and joy welled up in her heart. Pei Zhi said, ¡°To be precise, it was on your twentieth birthday.¡± # On June 29, four years ago. The night breeze was cool and filled with stars. The crabapple trees nted on Peach Creek Road were rustling in the wind. A few bright petals floated towards the entrance of Xuan Shang Club andnded on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder, who had just gotten out of the car. He looked sideways and waved them off with his slender fingers before following the waiter to the second floor. That day was Lin Jiao¡¯s birthday. Zhou Yanshen and Pei Yn kept calling him in the afternoon to urge him toe, but he still camete. He walked along the stone path towards the karaoke room. When he approached the corner, a graceful figure bumped into his arms. She was wearing thin summer clothes, and he could feel her soft body through the fabric of her shirt. For a moment, he was in a daze. Lin Jiao retreated in time. The light on her left poured down andnded on her fair skin, adding a luster to her fair skin. She looked up at him, her clear eyes like a lost deer in the forest with a trace of panic. ¡°Uncle, did I hurt you?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s expression was calm. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Bathroom.¡± ¡°You are going the wrong way.¡± ¡°What?¡± Lin Jiao turned around at his signal. When she saw the sign, her face burned even hotter. She pointed back. ¡°Then I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Pei Zhi walked into the karaoke room with the birthday gift for her. His appearance made the room quiet for a moment. Many of Lin Jiao¡¯s female ssmates stole nces at him. Seeing Zhou Yanshen move to his side, they started whispering again. ¡°I thought you weren¡¯ting.¡± Zhou Yanshen put his arm around his shoulder, reeking of cigarettes and alcohol. ¡°You just started?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been going on for an hour.¡± Pei Zhi took the cup from him and nced at Pei Yn, who was singing. He leaned over and held the dice cup. Before he could have a round with Zhou Yanshen, he was distracted by a gust of wind on his left. Lin Jiao walked to the table and chatted with her ssmates. With her back to the LCD screen, she watched as they took out the cake. The candles were lit, and the birthday song sounded. She pressed her palms together and made a wish. When she leaned over to blow out the candles, her red dress fluttered slightly, leaving a ripple. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Several cheers sounded after the candles were blown out. Their apuse drowned out the song. Lin Jiao cut the cake and handed it to them one by one. ... When it came to Pei Zhi, she smiled respectfully and cautiously. ¡°Uncle, try it.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Pei Zhi gave her the gift and said, ¡°Happy birthday.¡± Seeing that it was almost midnight, Pei Zhi picked up his phone and patted Zhou Yanshen¡¯s arm. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± ¡°So early?¡± ¡°I have something on tomorrow.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked up, his gaze wandering around the private room. ¡°Jiaojiao isn¡¯t back yet. See if you can find her and ask her toe back.¡± ¡°What happened to her?¡± ¡°I think she went to make a call.¡± Pei Zhi looked around the corridor but did not see anyone. He walked towards the garden and his gazended on the figure by thewn. Seeing her squatting on the ground, he quickened his pace. ¡°Lin Jiao?¡± He squatted down. Before he could ask, the corner of his shirt was grabbed. ... ¡°Are you here to look for me?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes were misty. She was obviously drunk. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back first.¡± ¡°No!¡± She stood up and took two steps forward unsteadily before falling into his arms. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± Her warm breath spread out on his chest, and the heat prated his shirt and tickled his skin like a feather. The numb itchiness made Pei Zhi ufortable. He held the hand around his waist. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed involuntarily. ¡°I¡¯m asking you.¡± Lin Jiao was unhappy with his silence. She frowned and repeated, ¡°Did you hear me?¡± ¡°Hear what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s singing.¡± Pei Zhi pulled her away. ¡°You¡¯re hallucinating.¡± In less than two seconds, she leaned against him again, wanting to dance with him. He sighed and held her right hand to twirl her. As she twirled, the red dress floated in the air like a blooming flower, making everything around her seem like a background. Her ck hair flowed like a gxy under the moonlight, unknowingly messing up his heart. ¡°Why don¡¯t you dance?¡± Lin Jiao, who was dizzy, stopped and let him hold her waist. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t know how to dance. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Chapter 188 - 188 As Long As You Are Here, Everything Is Worth It 188 As Long As You Are Here, Everything Is Worth It Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist. The silky fabric was pressed against his palm. He felt like he was touching fire. Even his fingertips were burning. Under Lin Jiao¡¯s guidance, he took a few steps forward and back, finishing the dance move she created. ¡°Can we go back now?¡± He stared at that beautiful face, his voice hoarse. !! ¡°You haven¡¯t learned it yet.¡± ¡°I know it already.¡± Lin Jiao did not believe him at all. ¡°Let¡¯s dance again.¡± She taught him like a strict teacher, getting closer and closer to him. Every time she got close to him, Pei Zhi¡¯s mouth would go dry. He couldn¡¯t stand the racing heartbeat. After dancing twice, he stopped. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Can we dance next time?¡± ¡°I want to y hide-and-seek.¡± Dancing without music was already strange enough, and she still wanted to y hide-and-seek. ¡°You seek.¡± Lin Jiao asked him to close his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t peek.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go far.¡± ¡°Not far. I¡¯ll hide under the table.¡± Pei Zhi looked up andughed. He paced back and forth at the table with the warm lights. On the count of five, he squatted down. ¡°I found you.¡± Lin Jiao, who was ying with her fingertips, looked up and smiled when she heard the voice. She reached out to grab him and pounced into his arms without warning, making Pei Zhi lean back. Her soft lips brushed past his chin the next second. Like a me, it brightened up his entire summer and stirred his heart. Lin Jiao, who was lying on top of him, was still moving around. Her red lips opened and closed, as if she had a lot to tell him. The moment Pei Zhi looked her in the eyes, his brain received a message that it had never received before. He was in love. # ¡°Do you like it when I embarrass myself?¡± Her voice was filled with embarrassment and anger, covering the faint sound of the television. ¡°You were very cute back then.¡± Lin Jiao took a sip of water and asked, ¡°How was I cute?¡± ¡°You¡¯re cute in every way.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°When you hid under the table and waited for me toe looking for you, you looked like a ragdoll.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even remember.¡± ¡°Drunk kittens have poor memory.¡± He tickled her waist with his fingertips. ¡°I understand.¡± Lin Jiao, who was ticklish,ughed. She covered her lips that were about to kiss him, her eyes still sparkling. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°How could I tell you when you were that drunk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her palm and passed his right hand under her leg, easily carrying her to his knee. He stroked her long hair. ¡°I originally wanted to wait for you to graduate before confessing, but in the end¡­¡± In the end, she got together with Gu Quan. Lin Jiao could not imagine how he would feel when he saw her in a rtionship with someone else, nor could she imagine his disappointment. She hugged his waist tightly. For some reason, she suddenly felt a lump in her throat and her voice became choked. ¡°It¡¯s very hard, right?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ¡°Liar.¡± Pei Zhi patted her backfortingly. ¡°As long as you¡¯re by my side, everything is worth it.¡± He was smiling, but Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t help but cry. She leaned close to his chest and cried until her shoulders were slightly hunched. Pei Zhi could feel the wetness of his sweater. He had always known that she was very empathetic, but at this moment, he felt that it was not a good thing to be too empathetic. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He rubbed her slender waist through the thinyer of pajamas. ¡°Do you want to cry somewhere else?¡± ¡°Where¡­ where?¡± ¡°Where do you think?¡± Lin Jiao looked at him with tears in her eyes. When she saw the darkness in his eyes, she stopped crying. ¡°No.¡± She red at him and let him wipe away the tears. ¡°We¡¯re not in a rtionship yet. We can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then can I kiss you?¡± ¡°No.¡± A trace of hurt shed across Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes. He threw the crumpled tissue into the trash can and asked again, ¡°Can I kiss you just once?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart softened. ... She grabbed his cor and touched his thin lips. ¡°Now you have it.¡± Pei Zhi did not give her a chance to retreat. He held the back of her head with his palm and pulled her back. He was still not satisfied after stalling the kiss for more than ten minutes. ¡°Pei Zhi!¡± Lin Jiao, who hade back to her senses, retreated. ¡°You¡¯re pushing your luck.¡± Her breathing was still unstable, and the corners of her eyes were red. Just looking at her made one want to bully her. Pei Zhi swallowed. ¡°I only kissed you once.¡± ¡°Then call that once.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not allowed to kiss me without my permission. Do you hear me?¡± ¡°Where exactly am I not allowed to kiss?¡± ¡°Everywhere.¡± Pei Zhi agreed reluctantly. He picked up the ss and fed her two sips of fruit juice. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you like me?¡± ... ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± ¡°After I started working in Sheng Heng.¡± Lin Jiao did not know when exactly. ¡°Anyway, I liked you before we went to Paris.¡± However, she did not face her feelings seriously. ¡°That¡¯s a long time.¡± Pei Zhi felt like his heart was filled with joy. Perhaps there was nothing in this world more joyful than having his love reciprocated Lin Jiao thought of what he had once asked. ¡°Jiaojiao, can you like me more?¡± She whispered into his ear, ¡°Not long enough. I¡¯ll like you every day from now on, even more than before and now.¡± Pei Zhi had never heard such touching words. He pressed his forehead against hers, and the love and joy in his eyes seemed to be about to surge out. ¡°Me too.¡± His love for her was like the mountain range that remained consistent for every spring, summer, autumn, and winter. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to kiss me.¡± Sensing his intentions, Lin Jiao turned her head. ¡°Then can you kiss me?¡± ¡°No.¡± She grabbed his cor. ¡°Don¡¯t go back on your word. I¡¯ll let you kiss me in the future.¡± Afraid that she would be angry, Pei Zhi could only give up. He looked up at the clock. ¡°Jiaojiao, can I sleep in the guest bedroom tonight?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lin Jiao let him sleep here for once on ount of him taking the initiative to ask for it. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a shower first.¡± The sound of running water could be heard. The night was as dark as ink. As time passed, the lights in Unit 9 went out one by one, enveloping the area in darkness. Pei Zhi, who was lying in the guest bedroom, could not fall asleep. He counted the time and only opened the door when it was about time. He quietly climbed onto the bed in the master bedroom. ¡°Jiaojiao,¡± he called out tentatively. After making sure that she was in a deep sleep, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. Under the faint moonlight, he stared at those lips that he had not tasted enough. His heart was itching as he leaned closer to her, enjoying the unfinished kiss Chapter 189 - 189 Good Girl 189 Good Girl ¡°Lin Jiao, your flowers.¡± Zhuo Yuan walked to her desk with arge bouquet of champagne roses. After receiving different roses for three consecutive days, the table beside Lin Jiao was almost full. ¡°Thank you.¡± She smiled and took it. ¡°Do you have an empty vase?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao, your boyfriend is really considerate.¡± Aly turned around and looked at her enviously. The other colleagues added, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve only received three bouquets in two years of marriage with my husband.¡± ¡°It¡¯s already good enough that you received three bouquets. A single person like me can only watch.¡± ¡°Lin Jiao, how long have you been dating?¡± Zhuo Yuan returned with two vases. ¡°More than two months.¡± Lin Ran unwrapped the bouquet and ced the roses in the vase one by one. ¡°How did you two meet?¡± ¡°Through amon friend.¡± She was not asking private questions, so Lin Jiao felt no pressure answering it. ¡°Zhuo Yuan, put this on your table.¡± Lin Jiao handed over a vase filled with roses. ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhuo Yuan lowered her head and sniffed. ¡°I feel much better when I smell the fragrance of flowers.¡± Lin Jiao thought so too. She ced the other vase on Aly¡¯s table and went to find the other empty vases to share with the others. Fortunately, no one in the nning department was allergic to pollen. Otherwise, she would have nowhere to put the roses. Buzz¡ªBuzz¡ª ¡°Senior, your phone is ringing.¡± Hearing Meng Qi¡¯s voice, Lin Jiao, who had just returned from the washroom, quickened her pace and picked up her phone. She answered the call. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, are you free tomorrow night?¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Lin Hongyuan briefly summarized how he had received an invitation to the auction banquet. ¡°If you¡¯re free,e with me.¡± Lin Jiao had never attended an auction banquet with him. To the outside world, the daughter of the Lin family had always been a mystery. In the past, she had never agreed to it because of the conflict between him and Lin Kanglu. However, now that Lin Kanglu had moved back to live with him, the situation was different now. For the first time, she did not reject and only asked, ¡°Is Auntie Fang going with us?¡± ¡°Your Auntie Fang is pregnant.¡± At the mention of this, Lin Hongyuan¡¯s voice was filled with joy. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for her to go out now.¡± Lin Jiao was shocked by this news. ¡°When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Less than two months. At first, we didn¡¯t believe it, so we visited two more hospitals. We only confirmed it yesterday.¡± When Fang Liu was married to her ex-husband for three years, she was found to be infertile and was forced to divorce her husband by her inws. Now that she was already forty years old, logically speaking, there was indeed no chance of her getting pregnant again. They were afraid that they would be happy for nothing, so they were so cautious and saw many doctors. ¡°Did Auntie Fang have a big reaction?¡± ¡°Quite big.¡± ¡°Then hire someone to take care of her.¡± Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t help but worry for her. ¡°Also, stop smoking and drinking.¡± ¡°Your grandpa is always watching me.¡± Lin Hongyuan didn¡¯t even have a chance to smoke or drink. He walked downstairs happily. ¡°I¡¯ll get the driver to pick you up tomorrow night. Remember to dress up and make your father proud.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and replied, ¡°Got it.¡± As it took a long time to deal with the roses, she arrived at the parking lot ten minutester than usual after finishing her afternoon work. Coincidentally, she heard someone say¡ª ¡°President Pei, can we talk?¡± Meng Qi did not expect to see him and immediately stopped him. ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°My name is Meng Qi. I¡¯m an employee of the nning department.¡± Pei Zhi stood in front of the car. The light split his figure into two. One half was hidden in the darkness, and the other half was covered in soft light. His expression was very cold. Even when he heard the words ¡°nning Department¡±, he did not change his expression. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I like you.¡± Meng Qi had always been bold. She looked at the man¡¯s especially superior face. It would be a lie to say that she was not nervous, but there was not much admiration in her eyes. Pei Zhi frowned. ¡°I have a girlfriend.¡± An unsurprising answer. Meng Qi chose to take a step back. ¡°Then can we add each other on WeChat? We can be friends.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested.¡± He opened the car door and nced at her coldly, his eyes filled with warning. ¡°Do you want to be transferred to work in the parking lot?¡± Meng Xi¡¯s back stiffened. ¡°No!¡± She couldn¡¯t stand the pressureing from him and ran to the car opposite. Seeing that the car was whooshing away, Lin Jiao walked over with a smile. ¡°President Pei, why are you scaring people like that?¡± ¡°She annoyed me first.¡± When she appeared, the coldness in Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes was reced by gentleness. He rubbed the top of her head. ¡°Are you angry?¡± ... ¡°How is that possible? I¡¯m not that petty.¡± Or rather, he gave her too much sense of security. There was no need for her to be jealous or paranoid. Seeing that she did not look angry, Pei Zhi waited for her to get into the car before walking to the other side. He stepped on the elerator. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m going to Lin City tomorrow to discuss a coboration. I¡¯ll be back on Sunday.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t drink too much.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± While waiting for the traffic light, he turned to look at her. ¡°Can I stay at your ce tonight?¡± Lin Jiao did not know about him climbing into her bed on Monday night, so she quickly agreed. ¡°Don¡¯t send flowers tomorrow. There¡¯s nowhere to put them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi did not expect to win her heart with just a few bouquets of roses. ¡°How about we go to Changning Ancient Town next week?¡± ¡°Is it fun over there?¡± ¡°Qu Shao said it¡¯s not bad.¡± Lin Jiao adjusted the height of the seat and rxed her back. ¡°How long will it take to go back and forth?¡± ¡°Three hours.¡± He briefly introduced the scenery he had seen on the video and did not go into detail to preserve the novelty. ... ¡°By the way, I have to attend an auction banquet tomorrow night.¡± ¡°Who held it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Lin Jiao told him about Fang Liu¡¯s pregnancy. ¡°My father is overjoyed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed something to be happy about.¡± Pei Zhi smiled faintly. ¡°When Ie back, let¡¯s go and see them.¡± He looked very gentle under the sunset. Lin Jiao only took a nce at him, but she could not take her eyes off him. Pei Zhi could not stand the way she looked at him. He had a feeling that she was seducing him at any moment. He unbuttoned the two buttons on his neck and drove the car into Ming Xin parking lot. After stepping on the brakes, he brought her into arms. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± His hot breathnded on her face, seducing her with his beauty. ¡°Do you want to kiss me?¡± Lin Jiao indeed wanted it. She looked into his deep eyes and subconsciously closed her eyes when he leaned over. When their lips touched, the temperature suddenly rose. In the cramped environment, a hoarse voice filled with love entered her ears. ¡°Good girl.¡± Chapter 190 - 190 Meeting an Old Friend at the Auction Banquet 190 Meeting an Old Friend at the Auction Banquet At the auction center. In the hall that could amodate more than a hundred people, there were several round tables. On each round table were the names of the invited people. The more famous corporate representatives in Lin City were all arranged at the front. The chandelier lit up the hall, and soft light shone on every corner. Lin Jiao held Lin Hongyuan¡¯s arm and walked on the red carpet, instantly attracting the attention of many people. !! She was wearing a ck velvet gown. The close-fitting design showed off her slender waist and exquisite curves. The diamond belt around her waist was emitting a dazzling light, but it still could not suppress that beautiful face. ¡°President Lin.¡± A middle-aged man greeted Lin Hongyuan. ¡°This is your daughter, right? She¡¯s really good-looking.¡± Lin Hongyuan, who received many gazes, smiled proudly and patted her hand to introduce her to them. His voice was not soft. At least, everyone at the auction table could hear him clearly. Those who had a coboration with Hongyun Group or were prepared to coborate went forward to chat with Lin Jiao. Lin Jiao smiled so much that her face stiffened. Seeing that Lin Hongyuan was getting more and more excited and smug, she whispered, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m still wearing high heels.¡± ¡°Tired? Then let¡¯s go over and sit.¡± Lin Hongyuan¡¯s heart ached for his daughter and he could not be bothered to show off anymore. He pulled her to the table where two young men were sitting. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you want juice or wine?¡± ¡°Anything is fine.¡± Lin Jiao brushed the corner of her dress and looked up to see a familiar face. She was stunned. She really did not expect to meet someone she had not thought of for a long time here. The moment their eyes met, Gu Quan¡¯s expression softened. Even the fatigue from working overtime seemed to have disappeared. Before he could speak, Song Zhen beat him to it. ¡°Sister Jiao, I haven¡¯t seen you in a long time.¡± His tone was as familiar as before. Lin Jiao smiled brightly without revealing her emotions. ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Is this your father?¡± Song Zhen was shocked and in disbelief. Before this, no one could associate the boss of Hongyuan Real Estate with Lin Jiao. She was really too low-key, so low that people thought she was from a poor family. ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao introduced them to Lin Hongyuan, who was curious. ¡°They¡¯re my university ssmates, Gu Quan and Song Zhen.¡± ¡°Gu Quan? That name sounds familiar.¡± ¡°You should know his father?¡± Afraid that Lin Hongyuan would re up, she did not mention their past. Gu Quan and Song Zhen were representing the Gu and Song families at the auction tonight. Their name tags were all written with their father¡¯s name. When Lin Hongyuan saw the name tag with the words ¡°Gu Chengyi¡± written on it, he understood. ¡°Uncle Lin, let me toast you.¡± Gu Quan stood up with a ss of wine. Not only was he humble, but he was also respectful. He smiled warmly from the bottom of his heart, looking more sincere than those with ulterior motives. Lin Hongyuan chatted with him. ¡°I heard from your father that you¡¯re taking over the Gu Corporation now?¡± ¡°Not really.¡± Gu Quan took two sips of wine and nced at Lin Jiao unintentionally. He rubbed the wine ss. ¡°He¡¯s the one handling most of the matters. I¡¯m still in the learning stage.¡± ¡°Young people learn quickly.¡± Lin Hongyuan pushed the fruit te to Lin Jiao. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before you can take charge.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s still too early. A few social engagements are already giving me a headache.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how it goes for everyone.¡± As they chatted, Lin Jiao sat at the side and listened quietly. The conversation in the hall stopped when the lights were half out, including the table she was sitting at. The host went on stage and went through the procedures. Then, he gave the podium to the auctioneer and let him introduce all the items tonight. The first and second items were all ink paintings, but they came from different eras and backgrounds. The starting price also jumped from three million to five million. The third item was a blue diamond ne with a total of 207 diamonds. It weighed 87 carats. The auctioneer introduced in detail and raised his voice. ¡°The starting price is 20 million!¡± ¡°23.¡± Lin Hongyuan raised his bidding sign without hesitation, scaring Lin Jiao. When she heard someone else raise the price, she quickly stopped him and reminded him, ¡°Dad, it¡¯s 25 million now.¡± ¡°I heard you.¡± ¡°Why are you bidding for this?¡± ¡°For you.¡± Lin Hongyuan looked into her eyes. ¡°Do you think it doesn¡¯t look good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not about whether it looks good or not. This is really too expensive. I can¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you ept it? Jiaojiao, don¡¯t keep thinking about saving money for me. I earn money for you to spend.¡± Lin Jiao said, ¡°Twenty-five million is enough to buy five houses in the city! If you use this money to buy a ne that I usually can¡¯t wear, you might as well give the cash to me.¡± Lin Hongyuan was speechless. He watched as someone else bid for the ne and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get you something else.¡± Lin Jiao knew that with his status, it was not good to go back empty-handed, so she did not refuse. She only said, ¡°I don¡¯t want anything worth over ten millions.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Hongyuan knew his daughter¡¯s temper very well and did not ask her to choose the expensive one. The conversation between the father and daughter entered Gu Quan¡¯s ears, causing his thoughts to wander. ... He had brought Lin Jiao to an auction once. At that time, he wanted to bid a three million bracelet for her, but she rejected him. He remembered her saying, ¡°Although this bracelet looks good, it¡¯s too slippery. It¡¯s not worth it if it drops. You might as well keep the money for socializing.¡± At that time, she really thought for him and said that it was not easy for him to enter the Gu Corporation. If his family found out about him squandering money, it would cause conflict. She did not even touch a single cent in the bank card he gave her. His friends all said that she was petty, which made him feel embarrassed at one point. However, now that he thought about it, all her good points became clear. She was really thinking for him. ¡°Brother Quan, what do you think of this vase?¡± Song Zhen elbowed him and did not notice the change in his mood. Gu Quan calmed himself down and looked at the stage. ¡°Not bad.¡± He raised the bidding sign and bought the vase for 3.7 million. Lin Hongyuan originally wanted to bid for it too, but his family did notck this one vase, so he did not raise the price. ¡°Quan, do you like vases too?¡± ¡°My father likes it.¡± He praised casually, ¡°Your father will wake upughing in his sleep with a filial son like you.¡± Gu Quan smiled faintly. ¡°Jiaojiao is also very filial.¡± When he called Lin Jiao by her nickname, there was an indescribable gentleness. ... Chapter 191 - 191 As a Classmate 191 As a ssmate There were many people whispering in the hall. Lin Hongyuan did not notice anything wrong with Gu Quan¡¯s tone. ¡°Dad, do you like this calligraphy painting?¡± Lin Jiao interrupted him, preventing him from praising her excessively to others. ¡°Not bad.¡± Lin Hongyuan raised the bid at a nce, looking like he was here to burn money. Calligraphy, porcin, and jade all had collection value, so Lin Jiao did not stop him from bidding. !! She rested her chin on her palm and focused on watching the auctioneer exin the items one after another. Finally, she found what she liked a momentter. The Ruyao porcin that was sent to the stage was one of the five famous porcins. It was a porcin that represented the Northern Song Dynasty. The one auctioned tonight was called the Double Dragon Ears. There were two external dragon heads on the sides of the porcin. It was a tribute to the royal family back then. The auctioneer said, ¡°The starting price is ten million.¡± Lin Jiao stared at the Double Dragon Ears and hesitated for a moment before raising the bidding sign. ¡°Eleven million.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, you¡¯re not adding enough.¡± ¡°Is adding one million not enough?¡± As soon as she finished speaking, she heard someone shout, ¡°Thirteen million.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Lin Hongyuan had seen countless treasures and could tell that this was a good item. ¡°Seventeen million.¡± ¡°Eighteen million.¡± ¡°Twenty million.¡± This time, no one followed. The auctioneer made the final decision. Lin Hongyuan got the porcin for 20 million. He turned around and smiled. ¡°We made a killing tonight.¡± Lin Jiao, who did not know much about the collection market, heard Lin Hongyuan analyze the value of this porcin and was d that he had won the bid for 20 million. She did not pay attention to the auction items after that. After all, she had already obtained what she wanted. There was no need to spend more money. After the auction ended, she went to the washroom alone while Lin Hongyuan was paying. She wiped her fingertips and had juste out of the corner when she was stopped by a handsome man. ¡°Miss Lin.¡± He took out his phone and smiled charmingly. ¡°Can I add you on WeChat?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t add strangers.¡± ¡°We won¡¯t be strangers if we get to know each other.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Lin Jiao refused bluntly. Just as she walked around him, he blocked her way again. ¡°Miss Lin, I¡¯m not a frivolous person.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with me¡­¡± ¡°Jiaojiao,¡± Gu Quan interrupted. He nced at the man half a head shorter than him and said gently, ¡°Uncle Lin is still waiting for us.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao followed him out of the long corridor. She only treated him as a university ssmate just like how she had introduced him to her father earlier. ¡°Thank you for what you did just now.¡± Gu Quan put his hands in his pockets. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± His expression was very natural. ¡°Why have I never heard you talk about Uncle Lin before?¡± ¡°I did, but I didn¡¯t say his name.¡± ¡°Did he have a conflict with your grandfather?¡± He thought about it but could only remember one thing or two. Lin Jiao replied, ¡°THey¡¯re back on good terms now.¡± She did not talk about her family in depth, nor did Gu Quan ask. He stared at her side profile and yed with the lighter where she could not see. ¡°Qian Yongjun said you¡¯re in a rtionship?¡± ¡°Qian Yongjun?¡± ¡°Old Qian.¡± He said, ¡°The one who often helps me send you things.¡± Only then did Lin Jiao remember. ¡°How did he know?¡± She did not deny it. Gu Quan felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. He pressed the tip of his tongue against his back teeth and tried not to let his emotions get the better of him. ¡°He saw you at Charles de Gaulle airportst time.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°How long have you been together?¡± ¡°More than two months.¡± Lin Jiao stopped at the door and held Lin Hongyuan¡¯s hand, who had juste out. They said goodbye to each other and quickly disappeared into the corridor covered in white light, leaving Gu Quan standing there alone. ¡°Brother Quan, let¡¯s go.¡± Song Zhen came out with two items and gestured for him to leave from the other side. He got into Gu Quan¡¯s car andmented, ¡°I think many people will be fighting to marry Lin Jiao in the future.¡± ¡°She has a boyfriend.¡± ¡°She told you that?¡± ¡°Yes, they just started dating not long ago.¡± When Gu Quan heard that it had been more than two months, his mood inexplicably improved. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He pondered for a moment. ¡°But it¡¯s unlikely that she would choose someone introduced by her family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Song Zhen lit a cigarette. ¡°Speaking of marriage, my father wants me to get married immediately.¡± ... Ever since the incident at Bo Yu Club, not only did he have to pay a lot of money, but his business also went downhill. During this period of time, he did not have much money left to fool around and find girls. He went home on time every day and listened to his father¡¯s arrangements. Even a marriage that he had never thought of was put on the agenda. ¡°Who did they choose for you?¡± Gu Quan opened the windows on both sides to let the smoke out. ¡°The girl from the Yuan Family. They¡¯re in the construction materials business.¡± ¡°Have you met her?¡± ¡°I met her once.¡± Song Zhen felt a headacheing on when he thought of her personality. ¡°She¡¯s too bossy. She¡¯s not my type at all.¡± Gu Quanforted him, ¡°She¡¯s the only child. It¡¯s normal for her to be bossy. Try spending more time with her. You might be able to develop a rtionship with her over time.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Is there any room for negotiation?¡± ¡°No.¡± It was precisely because of this that Song Zhen was so dejected. He was unhappy when he got out of the car. Other thanforting him, there was nothing else Gu Quan could do. ... He retracted his gaze from Song Zhen and drove in the other direction, returning home in thepany of the night. ¡°Quan, why are you home so early today?¡± Su Tian had not seen him at nine in a long time. She was surprised and happy. ¡°The auction ended early.¡± ¡°What did you bid?¡± ¡°A vase.¡± Gu Quan bent down and ced the wooden box on the coffee table, nning to take it home on the fifteenth. He took off his suit and looked at the pile of shopping bags on the sofa. ¡°Did you go shopping this afternoon?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I just came back not long ago.¡± Su Tian hugged him and continued to open the bags. She took out two bags lovingly and smiled brightly and contentedly. ¡°These two are new arrivals. They look good, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan nced at the logo on the shopping bags. ¡°How much did you spend in total?¡± ¡°Two hundred thousand.¡± ¡°Do you have enough money left?¡± Su Tian thought that he was going to give money to her and even looked at the bnce. ¡°There¡¯s still more than 700,000 left. It canst for about a month.¡± Seven hundred thousand for a month. Gu Quan subconsciously frowned. He sighed to himself. Suddenly, he was not in the mood to watch her unwrap the expensive bags. ¡°Tian Tian, I¡¯ll go upstairs first.¡± ¡°Are you going to sleep?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very tired.¡± When Su Tian looked up, he had already entered the room.. She did not catch the emotions in his eyes and was immersed in the joy of being rich. Chapter 192 - 192 Not Worthy of His Attention 192 Not Worthy of His Attention Ming Xin Mansion. The light was still on in the house on the right of the eighth floor of Unit 9. A graceful figure shed past the window and entered the bathroom at the other end. After showering, Lin Jiao walked into the master bedroom with a cup of hot milk andy on the bed. She opened the WeChat chat box and had just replied to Pei Zhi when the video invitation popped up. !! ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi stared at her beautiful face. He could see the water droplets that had yet to dry. He rubbed the screen. ¡°I miss you so much.¡± The words ¡°I miss you so much¡± carried all his strong feelings and were worth more than a thousand words. Lin Jiao pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°How much do you miss me?¡± ¡°I really miss you.¡± The voice from the speaker was so gentle that it seemed to want to wrap around her. ¡°I want toe back immediately.¡± The warm light on his right wrapped around his smooth jawline, making him look mesmerizing. ¡°But you can¡¯te back.¡± Lin Jiao turned over andy on her stomach. She rested her chin on her hand. The cor that she had yet to button was slightly open, revealing arge area of fair skin. Pei Zhi gulped. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow night.¡± He took two sips of water, but he didn¡¯t remind her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯ll be back on Sunday?¡± ¡°The signing of the contract is brought forward.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go see Auntie Fang the day after tomorrow?¡± Lin Jiao did not notice her cor and remained in her original position. Pei Zhi swallowed. ¡°Alright.¡± His gazended on the long hair that was sticking to her corbone. ¡°What did you bid for today?¡± ¡°A Ruyao porcin.¡± She said, ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve had such an expensive thing.¡± ¡°Ruyao porcin has always been very expensive, but it will increase in value in a few years. It¡¯s not bad as a collectible.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the milk cup. ¡°It¡¯s more valuable to me than a ne worth more than 20 million.¡± She raised her head and took two sips of milk, revealing her slender neck. Pei Zhi lit a cigarette to calm himself down. ¡°Jiaojiao, lie down and talk to me.¡± Lin Jiao thought that he could not see clearly, so when shey down with her phone, she turned on the night light. She moved the ss away and pulled out the strand of hair that had entered her cor. ¡°I met Gu Quan today.¡± ¡°Did you talk?¡± ¡°We chatted for a while.¡± She did not hide anything and even repeated the conversation she remembered. Pei Zhi listened calmly. He knew very well that Gu Quan was not a threat to him. His expression was as calm as hers. ¡°Lin City is only so big. It¡¯s normal to bump into him.¡± The smoke that filled his surroundings covered his long and narrow eyes, and Lin Jiao could not see his emotions clearly. She was silent for a moment. ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°No.¡± A mere old friend was not worthy of his attention. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t youughing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about something.¡± ¡°About work?¡± About eating you. Pei Zhi did not tell her his thoughts and followed her lead to talk about the coboration he was working on. He exined in detail. In the past, Lin Jiao would have shown interest, but she was sleepy today and gradually closed her eyes as she listened. Pei Zhi could not bear to hang up when she fell asleep. He found his earphones and put them on, listening carefully to her soft breathing as she fell asleep. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He closed his eyes and deliberately lowered his voice. ¡°Good night.¡± # Wild Cricket: ¡°Picture.¡± Wild Cricket: ¡°@Everyone, which hotel do you want to stay in? I¡¯ll book it now.¡± On Saturday afternoon, the people in the group chat received this WeChat message at the same time. The first person who saw it was Chu Yuzhou. Landlord, ¡°So early?¡± Wild Cricket: ¡°Didn¡¯t you look at the calendar? The 29th of this month is the third day of the Chinese New Year.¡± Landlord: ¡°I thought New Year¡¯s Eve was in February.¡± Y-ue: ¡°The second one is not bad.¡± ZJ: ¡°The second one.¡± Sleepless Lin City: ¡°Let them decide.¡± Lan: ¡°Brother Qu, did you rent a jet?¡± Wild Cricket: ¡°Of course. @Sy, have you found a captain? Sneering.jpg.¡± ... Sy: ¡°Done.¡± Shen Yi copied a phone number and sent it to him, asking him to tell the captain about the schedule. Just as he was about to turn off the screen, a message from Jiang Ye popped up again. ¡°Are you guys free tonight?¡± Sleepless Lin City: ¡°Are you going to treat us to a meal again?¡± ZJ: ¡°I have time.¡± Y-ue: ¡°Me too.¡± Ye: ¡°@Sleepless Lin City. I¡¯m done filming.¡± Landlord, ¡°Why don¡¯t we gather at Bo Yu Club? I¡¯ll get someone to reserve a luxurious private room.¡± Ye: ¡°Then let¡¯s meet at Bo Yu.¡± When the sun set, a group of people rushed to Bo Yu from different directions. After eating, they went to the private room to drink. ¡°Where are Pei Zhi and the others?¡± Shen Yi handed a cigarette to the men present and turned to ask Lin Jiao. ... ¡°He just got off the ne.¡± ¡°He¡¯ll be here soon, then.¡± ¡°Without Pei Zhi around, I¡¯m the most alcohol tolerant of you all.¡± A smug voice entered everyone¡¯s ears. Chu Yuzhou triggered everyone. Zhou Yanshen, who was sitting beside him, sneered. ¡°With me around, you don¡¯t get to be so arrogant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± He rolled up his sleeves and stepped on the chair to shake the dice cup. ¡°If you have any doubts about what I said,e challenge me.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at him in disdain. He stood up and patted Jiang Ye¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the washroom first. y a few rounds with him.¡± Jiang Ye then held the dice cup. He sat opposite Chu Yuzhou with Shen Yi, making the dice shake. While they were ¡®teaching¡¯ Chu Yuzhou a lesson, the three besties on the other end were drinking and singing. ¡°Yn, did he ask you to move in?¡± Lin Jiao knew about their agreement to live together after filming ended and looked at her curiously. At the mention of this, Pei Yn smiled from ear to ear. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll move in tomorrow.¡± ¡°In the same room?¡± ¡°Separate rooms.¡± She raised her legs and ced them on the soft stool, swinging her feet happily. ¡°But I believe we¡¯ll be able to sleep in the same room soon.¡± Qian Yue put down the microphone. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Ready for what?¡± ¡°To test the goods.¡± Her expression did not change. ¡°A harmonious life is very important. If you want to get married, you have to test it in advance.¡± Hearing that, Pei Yn and Lin Jiao were embarrassed. The former leaned closer to Qian Yue. ¡°What if it¡¯s not harmonious?¡± ¡°It depends on you. It¡¯s fine if you can ept it.¡± ¡°I can ept it.¡± Pei Yn did not hesitate and even prepared for the worst. ¡°As long as I can get pregnant.¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Are you already nning to have a child?¡± She had not thought that far ahead. ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time.¡± Once Pei Yn made up her mind, she would insist til the end. She smiled. ¡°I want to have a family with him.¡± Chapter 193 - 193 Mrs. Pei Became a Cat 193 Mrs. Pei Became a Cat ¡°Have you seen his parents?¡± At the mention of home, Lin Jiao asked about Jiang Ye¡¯s family. ¡°No.¡± ¡°He never mentioned them to you?¡± Pei Yn¡¯s gazended on his back. Even through a thick sweater, she could urately find the location of the two whip marks. ¡°He didn¡¯t have a good life in the past.¡± She suppressed the pain in her eyes and drank the wine. ¡°There¡¯s no need to mention them.¡± Lin Jiao and Qian Yue tacitly changed the topic. ¡°It¡¯s more appropriate to have a child before the age of 30.¡± Qian Yue touched Pei Yn¡¯s stomach. ¡°I¡¯m just waiting to be your daughter¡¯s godmother.¡± Her action was quite misleading. Chu Yuzhou happened to see it when he came over to get the wine. He raised his voice in shock. ¡°Pei Yn, you¡¯re pregnant?!¡± Jiang Ye was shocked by his voice. He pushed away the dice and turned around. Seeing that Qian Yue¡¯s hand was still on Pei Yn¡¯s stomach, he asked worriedly, ¡°Yn, are you feeling unwell?¡± He did not think that she was pregnant. Firstly, it was because they had not slept together. Secondly, he was certain that she would not cheat on him. Pei Yn shook her head. ¡°We¡¯re joking.¡± She red at Chu Yuzhou. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± ¡°What kind of a joke? Let me hear it.¡± ¡°Go and y your dice.¡± Before Chu Yuzhou could say anything else, Zhou Yanshen pulled him back to his seat. The clock pointed to eight. Pei Zhi and Qu Shao, who had returned, arrived at Bo Yu Club. In order to celebrate Jiang Ye¡¯s end of filming, they first drank two sses before finding seats to sit down and join the group game. ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± Lin Jiao whispered into his ear as she shook the dice. She had just drunk peach-vored fruit wine, and her breath carried a fresh and sweet fragrance. Pei Zhi stared at her lips. ¡°Yes.¡± He leaned to the left and casually ced his long legs on the chair. Perhaps because they were discussing business, he was dressed more formally today. His ck suit was straight and there were almost no creases. Lin Jiao¡¯s gaze moved down from his cor to his sleeves. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing the ck and gold pair?¡± ¡°It was scratched by a cat.¡± ¡°What cat?¡± ¡°The cat Mrs. Pei transformed into.¡± Pei Zhi touched her earlobe and said in a sexy voice. His touch was like a feather brushing past her skin, making her feel itchy. ¡°You¡¯re not married. How can you have a wife?¡± She pushed his shoulder away and looked at the cufflinks. ¡°I¡¯llpensate you with a new pair next time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want cufflinks.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°You.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist and said, ¡°How about giving yourself to me as apensation, Mrs. Pei?¡± Lin Jiao turned her head away. ¡°In your dreams.¡± She pretended to be calm and held the dice cup to y with them. ¡°Don¡¯t touch my waist.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only touching your clothes.¡± ¡°If you continue talking nonsense, you¡¯ll go back to Red Maple Forest to sleep tonight.¡± She even threatened him. Pei Zhi tightened his grip on her, but he did not dare to say anything else. Lin Jiao, who was used to him being shameless, let him be. Or rather, she had tacitly agreed to let him be intimate with her from the beginning. ¡°You lost.¡± Zhou Yanshen opened the dice cup and nced at the arrogant Chu Yuzhou. ¡°The loser drinks three sses.¡± ¡°No wonder I feel thirsty.¡± ¡°Can you be more shameless?¡± ¡°Why is feeling thirsty a shameless thing?¡± Chu Yuzhou raised his chin, looking even more smug than a winner. ¡°Then how about five sses?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pour it.¡± Shen Yi couldn¡¯t stand him being smug anymore. He took out two empty wine sses from under the table and filled them up before cing them in front of Chu Yuzhou. Chu Yuzhou finished three sses in a row, looking even more arrogant than before. ¡°I¡¯ll make you cry when Ie back.¡± He opened the door under everyone¡¯s gaze and swaggered out. Perhaps because his alcohol tolerance was really good tonight, when he came out of the washroom, he even started humming. Pa¡ª A loud sound interrupted his humming. In a private room near the garden, a man¡¯s angry voice sounded. ¡°Stupid b*tch, why are you pretending to be high and noble?¡± ... Tang Ni, who was being stared at by countless pairs of eyes, had red eyes, but she did not bend down. She took half a step back from the ss shards scattered at her feet. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Bo Yu doesn¡¯t provide special services.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just asking you to drink a few sses. Don¡¯t you understand?¡± ¡°She¡¯s wearing an artificial cochlea.¡± The woman beside him said sarcastically, ¡°Maybe she really didn¡¯t understand you.¡± Someone suggested that he speak into the microphone. He grabbed the microphone and shouted into it. He sized up Tang Ni greedily, all his nasty thoughts obvious. ¡°Deaf,e and have a drink with me.¡± Tang Ni clenched her fists. She had heard harsh words since she was young and thought that she was immune to it, but she wasn¡¯t as strong as she thought.. She held back her tears and took a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°I¡¯m just a waiter. I don¡¯t drink with customers.¡± ¡°You drink with me when I ask you to!¡± He gave the short man on the right a look. ¡°Get her over.¡± ¡°Try touching her.¡± The door was kicked open and a figure wrapped in light entered the room. ... Tang Ni, who was about to run, was stunned on the spot. She looked at that unfamiliar face. Before she could react, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her behind him. Chu Yuzhou said with a dark expression, ¡°Bo Yu doesn¡¯t wee trash like you. Get lost immediately!¡± ¡°Who the f*ck do you think you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m your father!¡± The man picked up the wine bottle and rushed up, but before he could get close to Chu Yuzhou, he was pressed to the ground by the four bodyguards who rushed into the private room. The club manager ran in and saw the wine bottle in that man¡¯s hand. He was so frightened that he broke out in cold sweat. ¡°Boss, are you alright?¡± ¡°No.¡± Chu Yuzhou nced at the frightened man disdainfully. ¡°Beat him up and throw him out.¡± With that, he walked out. Hearing the sound of that man shouting in pain, Chu Yuzhou felt extremely satisfied. ¡°B-boss.¡± Tang Ni, who was still being held by him, stared at the hand with a red face. ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± When her gentle voice entered his ears, Chu Yuzhou remembered that he had brought her out. He turned around, his eyes reflecting that face. Tang Ni had a good-girl face. The corners of her eyes were slightly lowered, making her look pitiful and innocent. She was very beautiful, so beautiful that even if she was wearing a waiter¡¯s dress, it did not diminish her beauty at all. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Chu Yuzhou retracted his hand, surprise shing across his eyes. ¡°Are you new here at Bo Yu Club?¡± ¡°Yes, I just started work the day before yesterday.¡± She felt the lingering warmth on her wrist and her heart raced. She was a little nervous. ¡°You¡¯re not suited to be a waitress.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I mean you¡¯re easily bullied.¡± Especially that face. It was too attractive. Chapter 194 - 194 No Wonder She Was Bullied 194 No Wonder She Was Bullied Tang Ni thought that he was going to fire her and was so anxious that she even freaked out. ¡°Boss, I really need this job. Give me another chance. I promise I won¡¯t make the customers angry.¡± ¡°What happened today is not your fault.¡± Chu Yuzhou knew at a nce that she had misunderstood. He leaned against the wall and took out a cigarette from the cigarette box. ¡°I mean to transfer you to the logistics department.¡± Only then did Tang Ni feel relieved. She looked up at him and quickly lowered her head. ¡°The logistics department doesn¡¯t seem to be short-staffed.¡± ¡°Leave this to me.¡± Chu Yuzhou blew out a mouthful of smoke. ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°Twenty-two.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look so.¡± SHe looked like a high school student. ¡°I can show you my ID card.¡± Tang Ni looked extremely obedient. No wonder she was bullied by those bastards. ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± Chu Yuzhou stopped the club manager who was passing by and told him about transferring Tang Ni to the logistics department. ¡°Thank you.¡± Tang Ni looked at Chu Yuzhou gratefully and followed the club manager downstairs. Chu Yuzhou, who had retracted his gaze, had just pushed open the door of the private room next door when a few gossipy gazesnded on him. Shen Yi raised an eyebrow. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯d ever live to see Young Master Chu saving the damsel in distress.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°I saw it.¡± Qu Shao happened to witness everything when he went to the washroom. He smiled and said, ¡°How does it feel to hold hands with her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything.¡± He couldn¡¯t even remember. ¡°If you didn¡¯t feel anything, why did you transfer her to the logistics department?¡± Zhou Yanshen put down the lighter. ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool us.¡± ¡°She¡¯s my employee.¡± Chu Yuzhou sat down beside him casually. ¡°It¡¯s normal for me to help her out.¡± ¡°Yes, she¡¯s indeed yours.¡± Chu Yuzhou was embarrassed. ¡°There¡¯s really nothing between us. Can you guys stop it?¡± ¡°It can develop into something in the future.¡± Qu Shao poured beer into his ss and said with a serious expression, ¡°To be honest, you two are verypatible.¡± ¡°How are wepatible?¡± ¡°In every aspect.¡± Chu Yuzhou did not want to talk about this topic, nor did he want to recall that innocent-looking face. ¡°ying dice.¡± He shook the dice cup and changed the topic. ¡°I haven¡¯t tortured you enough.¡± After the unexpected episode, the game continued. In the dim light, they sat around the table, chatting andughing like they did at every gathering in the past. Lin Jiao, who drank both beer and wine, was quite stoned. She climbed onto Pei Zhi¡¯s neck, moring to go home. When she felt the cold wind blowing at her, her eyes were even more blurry than before. When she got into the car, she was still very obedient. She leaned into Pei Zhi¡¯s arms and did not move, but when she got home, she seemed to have be a different person. ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± Lin Jiao repeated his name more than ten times and suddenly sat up from the sofa. She took the makeup cotton from Pei Zhi¡¯s hand and threw it on the ground. ¡°I want to check the goods.¡± ¡°Check that Ruyao porcin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like Ruyan.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°Then who do you like?¡± He patiently took out a new makeup cotton and squeezed a few drops of makeup water on it. ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you unless you prove it.¡± When Lin Jiao was not sober, it was easy for her to take the bait. When she was asked to prove it, she sat up straighter. She watched as Pei Zhi licked his thin lips and stared at him for a few seconds before going forward to kiss him. Their breaths intertwined. Pei Zhi knew very well that he could not continue, but as if their lips were glued together, he couldn¡¯t pull himself away. It was not until the moment she fell into his arms that he came back to his senses. ¡°Jiaojiao, can I help you remove your makeup first?¡± His slightly hoarse voice was like an old wine, making people intoxicated and unable to reject him. Lin Jiao leaned back. ¡°Okay.¡± She felt the slightly cold makeup cotton rubbing against her skin. ¡°I want to take a shower with you.¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi was focused. ¡°You can¡¯t even stand straight. How are you going to take a shower?¡± ¡°You can carry me and wash me.¡± ¡­She might as well kill him. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Lin Jiao asked. ¡°Yes, I drank too much.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s take a bath.¡± ¡°Another day.¡± Pei Zhi suppressed the urge and stood up to look for the trash can. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well today.¡± Lin Jiao looked at him in a daze and did not force him. ... She yawned. After washing up in the bathroom, shey on the bed in the master bedroom. ¡°Pei Zhi, I want to test you.¡± ¡°Test me for what?¡± Pei Zhi unbuttoned his shirt and casually took off his shirt. He leaned over slightly, and the muscles on his abdomen looked even more alluring under the night light. Lin Jiao couldn¡¯t help but reach out and touch them gently. Her fingertips were very warm, but as soon as they touched his skin, his back tensed. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when youe closer.¡± Lin Jiao poked him with her knuckles, her gaze fixed on him. After getting drunk, she was much bolder than usual. She would not be shy easily, but she was extremely annoying. Pei Zhi pulled her hand away and changed into his pajamas. ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± He lifted the nket and crawled into the bed. Lin Jiao grabbed his cor and pulled him closer. She repeated what Qian Yue said to him, showing no sign of shyness. However, the more this was the case, the harder it was for him to resist. ... ¡°Are you ready?¡± Her tone was very serious. Pei Zhi swallowed. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to study.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t there videos online?¡± She pointed at the wardrobe. Pei Zhi let out a long and helpless sigh and pulled her into his arms again, locking her soft waist. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± There was an imperceptible meaning in his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t like to do things in a rush. I¡¯ll learn it next time, okay?¡± ¡°When¡¯s the next time?¡± ¡°The day you are awake and willing.¡± Lin Jiao did not understand what he meant. She looked into his deep eyes and forgot what she wanted to say. She even forgot about the test. ¡°Kiss me.¡± She pouted her red lips, her gentle voice like an electric current that brushed past Pei Zhi¡¯s limbs. He kissed her lightly and said, ¡°Be good and go to sleep.¡± Without giving her a chance to make a fuss, he covered her eyes. Lin Jiao, who was patted on the back, calmed down and fell asleep. The moment the night light went out, the bedroom fell into darkness. When a light breath brushed past Pei Zhi¡¯s palm, he finally had a chance to catch his breath and rx. He threw away all distracting thoughts and whispered ¡°good night¡± into her ear. Chapter 195 - 195 I Can’t Bring You Home 195 I Can¡¯t Bring You Home What was broadcasted to be a sunny day didn¡¯t happen. Dark clouds gathered and bean-sized raindrops fell. Thewn outside Ming Xin mansion that had been washed by the rain emitted a refreshing fragrance. Holding an umbre, Pei Yn walked into the building. It was clearly gloomy weather, but the smile on her face did not diminish at all. !! She stood outside Unit 8 with the rain-drenched suitcase. Ding dong¡ª The doorbell rang every two seconds. Jiang Ye, who was squeezing toothpaste on his toothbrush, stopped and walked to the entrance in his pajamas. Unexpectedly, a familiar face entered his vision. He frowned and looked at her from head to toe. There was no surprise, only worry. ¡°It¡¯s raining so heavily outside. Why didn¡¯t you wait for me to pick you up?¡± ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry to see you.¡± ¡°Come in first.¡± He ced the slippers at her feet and turned to get a towel. ¡°You¡¯re still smiling even though you¡¯re all wet.¡± Pei Yn smiled even more sweetly. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡± She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the side of his face. ¡°I¡¯m not cold. There are many people outside without umbres.¡± ¡°Why are youparing yourself to them?¡± ¡°I just want you to not worry about me.¡± Jiang Ye held her hand and led her to the living room. He gently wiped her hair and shoulders, showing no signs of anger. ¡°Did you have a hangover after drinking so muchst night?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn looked up and was gradually enveloped by the warmth on his body. ¡°Did you just get up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye dried her hair and carried her suitcase to the bedroom. ¡°I¡¯ll help you unpack. You can watch TV first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Her raised voice showed her joy, making him smile. He squatted down and unzipped the suitcase. First, he took out a few coats, then sorted out her socks, bags, and underwear. This time, she brought five sets of underwear. Two of them were normal, and the remaining three were sexier. When he saw thece on it, the tips of his ears burned. This was the first time he had touched a woman¡¯s personal things. No matter how hard he tried to restrain himself, he still couldn¡¯t help but imagine her wearing it. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± Pei Yn walked over and asked in all seriousness, ¡°Which one do you think looks better?¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He felt like he had been caught red-handed, and his ears seemed to be bleeding. He pretended to be calm. ¡°They¡¯re all about the same.¡± ¡°What if you had to choose one?¡± ¡°The white one.¡± At least it looked normal. ¡°You actually like the white one?¡± Pei Yn unfolded the underwear he had folded and showed him the hollow out design. Jiang Ye was speechless. He quickly looked away as if he had been dazzled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡± ¡°Then do you still choose the white one?¡± ¡°The deep blue one.¡± ¡°Are you sure about the deep blue one?¡± Pei Yn held back herughter, wanting to show it to him. The next second, Jiang Ye quickly stuffed all the clothes into the wardrobe. In order to shake the thoughts in his mind, he changed the topic and said, ¡°You brought too few clothes.¡± ¡°Someone will send the rest over.¡± Pei Yn came in a hurry today and did not have time to pack up. ¡°What did your parents say?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± She sat on the edge of the bed. ¡°My mother even prepared a gift for us.¡± Jiang Ye found a ¡®gift¡¯ from the bottom of the suitcase. He opened the square ck box and closed it with a bang. ¡°Yn.¡± He gripped the square box tightly, his heart pounding. ¡°Are you sure this is a gift from Auntie?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Pei Yn pretended not to have seen it and asked curiously, ¡°What makes you so excited?¡± Jiang Ye, who was usually eloquent, was lost for words. ¡°Nothing.¡± He walked into the other bedroom with the hot potato and found a ce to hide it first. He leaned against the wardrobe and pondered for a long time. The moment the drawer locked, his heart finally calmed down. ¡°Jiang Ye, where¡¯s the gift?¡± Pei Yn had enough ofughing in a ce he could not see. When he returned, she looked at him innocently. ¡°I put it away.¡± Jiang Ye continued to put away the remaining clothes and said without changing his expression, ¡°Auntie gave it to me.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I see it?¡± ¡°Not at the moment. I¡¯ll show you one day.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn knew very well that with his personality, he would not take it out, so she did not force him. The empty suitcase was ced in the storage room. Jiang Ye walked into the bathroom with her makeup bag and ced the bottles on the sink before picking up his toothbrush to brush his tooth. ... The rain outside the window had yet to stop. The water vapor condensed by the raindrops formed a faint fog that blocked everything outside the window. The sound of running water could be heard in the kitchen. After washing the dishes, Jiang Ye wiped his fingers and walked towards the living room. He leaned against the sofa and put his arm around Pei Yn¡¯s waist, spending a tranquil weekend with her with romanticedy. ¡°Yn.¡± When night fell, Jiang Ye mentioned visiting her parents. ¡°Ask Uncle and Auntie when they are free.¡± Pei Yn sent a WeChat message to her family group and quickly received a reply. ¡°Next Saturday.¡± ¡°What do they like?¡± ¡°Grandpa likes to y chess. My mother likes to go to the beauty shop. My father likes to smoke.¡± Jiang Ye remembered it by heart. ¡°Other than smoking, does Uncle like anything else?¡± He couldn¡¯t possibly send cigarettes as a gift. ¡°He also likes my mother.¡± Pei Yn really could not remember what other things he liked. ¡°Buy whatever you want. As long as it¡¯s not too expensive.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± He rubbed his phone, thinking that he would ask Wu Rui, who was already married, tomorrow. ¡°What about Pei Zhi?¡± ... ¡°Ignore him. He is going to take Jiaojiao out to have fun.¡± Pei Yn tore open the bag of potato chips and curled up in his arms to eat slowly. Jiang Ye rested his chin on the top of her head and listened to the clicking sound, feeling inexplicably at ease. He narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask about my parents?¡± Pei Yn paused. ¡°I forgot.¡± She did not turn to look at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Jiang Ye knew what she was thinking. He tightened his grip on her and said calmly, ¡°My mother ran away with someone when I was seven years old.¡± ¡°Three years after she left, my father was also sentenced to eight years in prison for intentional assault.¡± ¡°In order to escape from my father¡¯s control, I came to Lin City after graduating from high school. I haven¡¯t contacted him all these years.¡± ¡°So, I can¡¯t bring you home.¡± Pei Yn could not imagine what kind of experience and pain he had gone through. She grabbed a handful of potato chips and stuffed them into her mouth to stop herself from sobbing and the tears from flowing out. ¡°Yn.¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s gaze was still on the TV, so he did not notice anything wrong with her. ¡°Do you mind my family background?¡± Chapter 196 - 196 Trying to Provoke Her 196 Trying to Provoke Her Pei Yn shook her head repeatedly. She swallowed the potato chips in her mouth and clenched her fists to prevent her from finding out she was sad. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± She took a deep breath and deliberately raised her voice to make her tone sound rxed. ¡°You are you, and they are them.¡± Jiang Ye, who was lost in his memories, came back to his senses. When he looked down, he saw a pair of red eyes. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± He stroked the corners of her eyes, his smile as gentle as ever. ¡°I¡¯m not crying.¡± ¡°Your eyes are already so red.¡± ¡°My eyshes fell into my eyes.¡± Pei Yn made up an excuse and emphasized, ¡°It¡¯s making my eyes ufortable, so it¡¯s red.¡± Jiang Ye did not expose her. He leaned over and picked up the ss of water on the coffee table. He fed it to her and watched her drink. ¡°I¡¯m d he didn¡¯t beat that person to death back then.¡± ¡°If he has taken a life with his hands¡­¡± No matter what, he would not be with her. The reason was very simple. He was not worthy of her. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore.¡± Pei Yn did not want him to bring up his past, nor could she bear to hear it. She leaned close to his neck and rubbed against it. ¡°Jiang Ye, how about we buy a house next year? I want to have a home with you.¡± When he suddenly heard the word ¡°home¡±, Jiang Ye, who didn¡¯t have a ce called home, felt endless hope. He felt her warmth and his blood was boiling. Like a lost bird that had found its habitat, he felt a sense of security he had been longing for. ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye stroked her long hair. The moment he closed his eyes, his eyshes were a little wet. ¡ª¡ªActually, wherever she is, it¡¯s home. # The rain stopped on Monday morning. After the morning meeting in the nning department ended, many employees rushed out of the meeting room and walked to their desks. Lin Jiao turned on theputer. Just as she was typing, Meng Qi, who was sitting beside her, edged closer. ¡°Senior, are you free at noon?¡± She took two sips of iced Americano. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡± ¡°Why are you suddenly treating me to a meal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m about to resign.¡± Lin Jiao turned to look at her. ¡°So suddenly?¡± She thought about it carefully. ¡°Are you not used to the work here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m too tired.¡± Meng Qi had already lost the bet. She really did not want to work nine to six anymore. She brushed the short hair on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m here to experience life anyway. There¡¯s no need to stick to the end.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve already submitted a resignation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She was still on probation and did not have to go through many procedures like a regr employee. Lin Jiao did not say anything else. She opened the product information sent from Zheng Yi and made a proposal for Sheng Heng¡¯s next product. She worked until noon, when a few rays of sunlight shone down. The restaurants on Sycamore Street were packed as usual. Even the vendors rushed over after the rain, pushing their tricycles filled with flowers. Meng Qi had always been picky. From the moment she entered the Western restaurant, she started toin. In addition toining about the dining environment, she would alsopare the dishes of the restaurant with the dishes in other restaurants. It was very tiring to eat with her. If not for the fact that it was thest meal, Lin Jiao would not be sitting here. Under constantining, Lin Jiao ate half of the steak with poker face without even drinking the mushroom soup. ¡°Senior, are you full?¡± Meng Qi finally stoppedining. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get the bill.¡± Fortunately, the way she treated the waiter was polite. Lin Jiao walked out of the restaurant. When she breathed in the fresh air after the rain, she felt much more rxed. She chatted with Meng Qi casually. They did not have much inmon and were just talking nonsense most of the time. ¡°Miss Lin?¡± A Maserati stopped beside Lin Jiao and a woman¡¯s voice came from the back seat. Yao Qianning got out of the car. ¡°Can we talk?¡± She smiled gently, but Lin Jiao could see a trace of hostility and disdain in the depths of her eyes. ¡°Yes,¡± she asked Meng Qi to go back first. Her gazended on the cafe opposite. ¡°Do you want coffee?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yao Qianning followed her. There were no private rooms in the cafe. They chose a window seat and sat opposite each other. The melodious music filled the space. It was not noisy, but it could calm people down. The waiter brought two cups of coffee. The coffee had turned cold, but none of them said a word. Lin Jiao was very calm. Especially when facing her love rival, the indifference and fearlessness she showed was unmatched. However, Yao Qianning was used to putting on an act. No matter how unhappy she was, she did not show it on her face. ... She stirred the coffee with a silver spoon and sized up the woman opposite her. ¡°Miss Lin, you¡¯re very beautiful.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that beauty is sometimes useless.¡± Lin Jiao suddenly smiled. ¡°So?¡± She was mboyant and charming when she smiled. Yao Qianning had to admit that Lin Jiao had a certain advantage over her in terms of appearance, temperament, and figure. But in terms of family background¡­ Yao Qianning said bluntly, ¡°What Pei Zhi needs is a woman who is his equal, not a vase that has no real value. What¡¯s the use of being beautiful? You can keep him for the time being, but can you keep him forever?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to his ability, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone in Lin City who¡¯s his equal in that regard. If you¡¯re talking about his family background, mine can¡¯tpare to his, but can yours?¡± ¡°Yao Corporation¡­¡± ¡°Miss Yao, people with a good upbringing won¡¯t jump to conclusions about others, and nor will theybel others casually.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s sarcasm made Yao Qianning¡¯s expression change. ... She picked up the coffee cup and took two sips before saying calmly, ¡°Pei Zhi naturally has his reasons for not choosing you. Instead of wasting my time, you might as well ask yourself why.¡± Yao Qianning was so angry that she clenched her fists. She struggled to maintain her remaining elegance, unwilling to be at a disadvantage in front of Lin Jiao. ¡°The Yao Corporation can be Sheng Heng¡¯s right-hand partner, but what can Hongyuan Corp do? The real estate industry hasn¡¯t been as good as before in the past two years.¡± ¡°Sheng Heng can develop to its current scale not because they rely on the so-called right-hand partner. My rtionship with Pei Zhi is pure and not mixed with anything else. Even if my family is poor, he will still like me.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t need it, but what about the Pei family?¡± Lin Jiao raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why do you have to bring benefits into everything? In your eyes, is love just a deal?¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± ¡°What you think is true has nothing to do with us.¡± The calmer she was, the more fluctuating Yao Qianning¡¯s emotions were. She could not even breathe smoothly. She could tell that this tactic would not work, so she gritted her teeth and used other tactics to provoke Lin Jiao. ¡°Miss Lin, Pei Zhi and I are not ordinary friends.¡± Chapter 197 - 197 One Woman After Another 197 One Woman After Another Lin Jiao swiped open the screen to look at the time. Thinking that it was still early, she decided to listen and see what she was up to. ¡°How unordinary is the rtionship between you?¡± ¡°We went to the same dinner party at the end ofst year. Do you know what happened that night?¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°He was drunk that night.¡± Yao Qianning did not hesitate to lie. ¡°I was the one who apanied him for the night.¡± !! ¡°How?¡± ¡°We¡¯re all adults. Do you need me to tell you in detail?¡± She pushed aside the hair at her temples and revealed a shy expression. Lin Jiao was disgusted by her. She first sent Pei Zhi a location before calling him. She asked unhurriedly, ¡°So you slept with Pei Zhi?¡± ¡°Yes, he likes me very much.¡± ¡°Do you believe it yourself?¡± Yao Qianning said without changing her expression, ¡°Miss Lin, I know you feel bad, but that night did happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re quite good at day-dreaming.¡± Lin Jiao leaned back and looked into her eyeszily. From the beginning to the end, she was very calm. Yao Qianning could not stand her putting on an act and tried her best to provoke Lin Jiao. ¡°Pei Zhi is just ying with you. Don¡¯t think too highly of yourself.¡± ¡°He proposed marriage to me.¡± ¡°How is that possible?!¡± She raised her voice, obviously losing herposure. Lin Jiao smiled even more brightly. She raised her left hand and rubbed the ring. ¡°How do you think this ring came about?¡± The diamonds on the ring shone brightly. In Yao Qianning¡¯s eyes, it was especially dazzling. She calmed herself down. Even though she already had an answer in her mind, she still did not want to believe it. ¡°He proposed marriage just like that? With Pei Zhi¡¯s wealth, would he buy Cartier for you?¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with wealth.¡± Lin Jiao looked up at the man who was rushing over. ¡°Whatever I like, he¡¯ll try his best to satisfy me.¡± ¡°The prerequisite for him to satisfy you is that he¡¯s still interested in you. Don¡¯t tell me you think he¡¯s really in love with you?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t like her, who else do I like?¡± A cold voice suddenly sounded. Yao Qianning looked up and saw a pair of dangerous and cold eyes. His gaze was like a wind de, piercing into her skin, making her shiver. Just as Yao Qianning was racking her brains to make up a lie, she heard his angry voice again. ¡°Yao Qianning, do I know you very well?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get awyer to talk to you about ndering my reputation.¡± Pei Zhi leaned over slightly, and a suffocating pressure weighed on Yao Qianning. He sneered, ¡°The daughter of the Yao family is indeed different. The word ¡®shameless¡¯ is vividly disyed by you.¡± Being described as shameless by the person she liked, Yao Qianning felt like her heart had been stabbed. Her eyes were red. ¡°Pei Zhi, it¡¯s not what you think. I was in a fit of anger just now¡­¡± Pei Zhi did not even want to look at her. He held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand. ¡°The coboration between Sheng Heng and the Yao Corporation will end today. Save yourself the energy to exin it to your father.¡± The sound of footsteps gradually faded. Yao Qianning, who was left alone, came back to her senses and covered her face as she sobbed. Lin Jiao could see the lonely figure clearly through the French window. She retracted her gaze indifferently without any sympathy. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist and slowed down as they walked towards Sheng Heng. ¡°What else did she say?¡± The anger in his eyes was reced by gentleness, and even his voice was not as cold as before. ¡°Nothing.¡± Lin Jiao could not be bothered to repeat it. She thought of Fang Yanwen from a while ago and red at him. ¡°President Pei is really popr. Womene after you one after another.¡± The smell of jealousy was too strong. Pei Zhi kissed the top of her head and did not notice that they were in Sheng Heng. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m doing my best to keep myself away from them.¡± ¡°Is there anything I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lin Jiao pressed the elevator button, forgetting to hide their rtionship from the surrounding employees. ¡°If you dare to hide it from me, you¡¯ll be finished.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare.¡± Pei Zhi hugged her from behind. ¡°Considering that you have a good attitude, I¡¯ll forget you this time.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and walked into the empty elevator with him. When the door closed, the employees standing a hundred meters away were still in a daze. They really could not believe that President Pei, who was serious and unapproachable, was actually like this in private. ¡°Was that thedy boss just now?¡± One of the PR department employees was the first to speak. ¡°Why does she look so familiar?¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°President Pei really dotes on her. When he kissed thedy boss, he waspletely engrossed in it.¡± ¡°And the way he hugged her from behind. It makes me want to fall in love too.¡± Aly, Zhuo Yuan, and Sun Haoran, who were standing behind them, looked at each other and saw the shock in each other¡¯s eyes. Especially Sun Haoran. ... When Qu Shao asked him to take care of Lin Jiao, he did not think too much about it. Unexpectedly, this was the reason he was asked to take care of Lin Jiao. They returned to the nning department in silence. Unable to hold back the urge to gossip, they created a group chat of three people to discuss crazily in private. The other employees who witnessed the entire process also talked about this in their department groups. In just a moment, it reached Qu Shao¡¯s ears. He knocked on the door of the CEO¡¯s office at two o¡¯clock. When he reported to them about what had been circting in thepany, he was still smiling. ¡°Boss, this time, it¡¯s out of hand.¡± Lin Jiao, who had just woken up, had a brain fog and couldn¡¯t think properly. After being fed two mouthfuls of water by Pei Zhi, she thought about what Qu Shao said and asked calmly, ¡°Do they know it¡¯s me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Qu Shao paused. ¡°But a lot of people saw it. If you go downstairs and walk around, you¡¯ll be recognized.¡± Pei Zhi put down the ss of water. ¡°Do you want me to rify it?¡± He tidied her cor and hair, his expression unchanged. ¡°No need.¡± It was only a matter of time before their rtionship went public. Lin Jiao left his arms and rushed back to the nning department to start a new round of work. ... Zhuo Yuan and the others took a few more nces at Lin Jiao before starting to gossip in the group. However, gossip was gossip. They did not tell anyone that thedy boss was in the nning department. ¡°Senior.¡± Meng Qi leaned closer to ask her, ¡°Have you heard about it?¡± ¡°Are you referring to President Pei?¡± ¡°Yes, his girlfriend is at thepany.¡± ¡°You still like him?¡± Lin Jiao typed on the keyboard, adding lines of words to the document. ¡°I don¡¯t like him anymore.¡± She was not enthusiastic about chasing someone who did not belong to her. Meng Qi packed up her stuff. ¡°Unfortunately, I won¡¯t have the chance to see his girlfriend.¡± Lin Jiao smiled but did not say anything. She nced sideways at her, but in the end, she did not tell her that she had actually seen her countless times. Chapter 198 - 198 Pei Zhi, Lin Jiao, Forever 198 Pei Zhi, Lin Jiao, Forever Friday evening. Lin Jiao did not need to hide her rtionship anymore. She went to the parking lot with the other colleagues and got into Pei Zhi¡¯s car. She adjusted her seat. ¡°Because of you, two colleagues added me on WeChat today.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you refuse?¡± ¡°They use work as an excuse. I can¡¯t refuse.¡± Ever since they were seen interacting intimately on Tuesday, many colleagues swarmed over to add her on Wechat. ¡°Does it bother you?¡± Pei Zhi leaned over and put on his seatbelt. ¡°Not really.¡± She took a bottle of juice out of the glovepartment. ¡°They don¡¯t talk to me often.¡± ¡°If anyone harrasses you, tell me. I¡¯ll get Qu Shao to handle it.¡± ¡°How do you n to handle it?¡± ¡°It depends.¡± Pei Zhi stepped on the elerator and left Sheng Heng¡¯s parking lot. ¡°If it¡¯s not too serious, I¡¯ll just warn them.¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s serious?¡± ¡°Fire.¡± He nced at the GPS and drove towards the road on the right. ¡°Sheng Heng doesn¡¯t need employees who can¡¯t behave themselves.¡± Lin Jiao chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re nice people.¡± ¡°I hope so.¡± Pei Zhi lit a cigarette while waiting for the traffic light. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you hungry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s eat when we get to Changning?¡± Lin Jiao tightened the bottle cap. ¡°Alright.¡± She yed a rxing song and leaned against the back of the seat to take a nap. The afterglow of the sunset faded on the way, and the sound of the music apanied them to Changning. The old street in the ancient town was unique. On both sides of the street, there were lush trees. LED lights hung between the trees, and together with the light from the streetmps, they decorated the not-so-wide road. As they walked along the stone road, many vendors selling essories and snacks on both sides shouted to attract tourists in different ways. Lin Jiao stopped in front of a takoyaki stall. She looked at the octopus balls and her stomach let out a soft growl. ¡°Boss, how many are there in one serving?¡± ¡°Six.¡± ¡°Then I want two servings.¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The boss ced the octopus balls in a paper box and spread it with bonito kes and sd dressing. ¡°Twenty in total.¡± Pei Zhi paid for it with his phone. He took one serving from Lin Jiao and put one octopus ball into his mouth with a bamboo fork. Their overly outstanding appearance attracted the attention of many tourists. asionally, they would hear people say that they were a good match. Lin Jiao was so focused on eating that she did not notice the gazes of others. Before long, she stopped at a stall. ¡°Pei Zhi, I want to eat this.¡± She pointed at the squid skewers on the griddle, her eyes bright and her mouth watering. ¡°How many skewers do you want?¡± ¡°Ten skewers. Five for each of us.¡± Pei Zhi picked ten skewers of squid and handed them to the boss. While asking for the price, he did not forget to ask the boss to put less chili. Receiving the gaze of the hungry cat beside him, he whispered into her ear, ¡°You still have three days of your period. You can¡¯t eat too spicy food.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips. ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi held the squid skewers in the lunch box and fed the hungry cat. They bought cold noodles and fried potatoes. They sat at the wooden table behind the skewers stall and ate slowly. ¡°Which do you think is the best?¡± Lin Jiao wiped the red oil from her lips and took a few sips of milk tea. ¡°Squid skewers. How about you?¡± ¡°The same.¡± She chewed on the pearls. ¡°Shall we buy a few more skewers when we go back?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s gazended on her lips and he couldn¡¯t help but peck it. ¡°There is oil.¡± ¡°Why are you kissing me when there¡¯s oil?¡± ¡°I¡¯m helping you wipe it clean.¡± Lin Jiao red at him. ¡°Liar.¡± She threw away the empty milk teacup and walked forward alone. However, before she could take two steps, he ced his warm palm on the back of her hand and interlocked his fingers with hers. She suppressed the smile on her face and leaned closer to his arm. Apanied by the evening breeze, they walked to the end of the street. At the end of the street was a river. In the empty space on the bank, two or three tourists were gathered and studying the Sky Lantern. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi held her hand and led her to the stall. ¡°How manynterns do you want?¡± ¡°One. I want to release it with you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± He took a pen from the stall owner and handed it to her. ¡°Write your wish.¡± Lin Jiao opened the packaging of the Sky Lantern and carefully unfolded it before cing it on the chair. She wrote a line of words that put Pei Zhi almost immediately on cloud nine. ¡°Pei Zhi, Lin Jiao, forever.¡± ... ¡°Let¡¯s go over there.¡± She returned the pen to the stall owner and walked to the right with the Sky Lantern. He took out the lighter from his pocket and lit the candle to let it burn for a while. ¡°Jiaojiao, hold the top with both hands.¡± Lin Jiao did as she was told. ¡°Can I release it now?¡± Pei Zhi saw the faint candlelight reflected in the depths of her eyes. He hugged her waist from behind and kissed her face. ¡°Yes.¡± He gestured for Lin Jiao to let go. The gradually rising Sky Lantern carried their wish and took off from the ground. They watched as thentern flew higher into the sky, embellishing the dark night with a warm light. Lin Jiao, who was sitting in the passenger seat, was driven to the hotel booked by Pei Zhi with a bag of squid skewers. After checking in at the front desk, they took a room card to the top and found the room they would be staying in. With a beep, Pei Zhi inserted the room card into the slot and pressed the light switch. He closed the door and stood in front of the sofa to take off his ck coat. He sat down with Lin Jiao. ¡°Is the squid cold?¡± ... ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Then eat first before taking a shower.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the first squid skewer and leaned into his arms to look around at the furnishings in the suite. At this moment, she realized that there was only one bedroom in the suite. ¡°Pei Zhi, why didn¡¯t you book a two-bedroom room?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to sleep in the same room as me?¡± ¡°We¡¯re not a couple¡­¡± Pei Zhi interrupted, ¡°But we¡¯re more than a couple.¡± He rested his chin on her shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Chapter 199 - 199 You’re the One Who Took Advantage of Me 199 You¡¯re the One Who Took Advantage of Me His voice was irresistible. Lin Jiao¡¯s expression did not change, but the tips of her ears turned red. ¡°You won¡¯t even have a chance to do anything.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Pei Zhi sucked her earlobe and said, ¡°Try me if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± His unexpected action made half of Lin Jiao¡¯s body go numb. Even the nerves in her brain started to scream. ¡°I believe you.¡± She did not intend to cross the line at this moment. Pei Zhi said meaningfully, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She pretended to be calm and threw away the skewer stick. ¡°I realize you¡¯re getting more and more overboard.¡± ¡°What¡¯s worse is yet toe.¡± ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± He rubbed her waist and smiled even more dangerously. ¡°Mrs. Pei, do you want to try?¡± Lin Jiao covered his lips to stop him from talking. She avoided his burning gaze. ¡°Do you want to sleep on the sofa tonight? If you do, keep talking.¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her palm. He held her slender wrist and caressed her wrist with his calloused fingers. ¡°Jiaojiao, feed me a skewer.¡± Lin Jiao leaned over and picked up two skewers of squid. As she fed him, they quickly emptied the box. After filling up her stomach, she walked around the suit for ten minutes and watched television with him for half an hour before entering the bathroom to take a shower. The sound of running water mixed with the sound of the television. Steam seeped out from under the door. Even from a distance, Pei Zhi could feel the heat. He took off the watch on his wrist and slowly lit the cigarette. He looked straight at the LCD screen. After smoking a cigarette, he calmed down. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± Lin Jiao walked to his side, her eyshes still wet. A nice and faint fragrance disturbed Pei Zhi¡¯s heart. He kissed her eyshes. ¡°Be good. Go in and wait for me.¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Remember to lock the door.¡± She picked up the phone on the table and turned to walk into the bedroom. The hem of her pajamas disappeared behind the door. Pei Zhi retracted his gaze and let out a long breath. He stood in front of the sink and took off his clothes. Just as he walked into the shower, he heard a soft voice outside the door. ¡°Pei Zhi, I forgot to wash my underwear.¡± Although he could not see her expression, he could still feel her embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wash it for you.¡± ¡°¡­Forget it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like I never washed it for you before.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled when he heard the footsteps go away. He squeezed two pumps of shower gel into his palm and applied it from his neck to his chest. Then, it flowed down his body, making every inch of his skin smell the same as hers. Pei Zhi wiped the water off his body and put on a bathrobe. He picked up thece underwear that was left in the basket and spread it under the tap to wet it before applying soap. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m done showering.¡± He lifted the nket and slid into the soft bed. ¡°Is there a reward?¡± ¡°What reward do you want?¡± ¡°Kiss me.¡± She knew it. Lin Jiao turned off the screen and put the phone aside. She leaned into his arms and raised her chin. Once a prey that stepped into a trap was caught by a hunter, it would have no chance of escaping. The kisssted for a long time under the nightmplight. In the cramped environment, the temperature suddenly rose. Before it reached an uncontroble level, the hunter let go of his prey. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± Lin Jiao pushed him away to show her dissatisfaction. ¡°Are you going to act like nothing happened?¡± ¡°How dare you say that? You¡¯re the one who took advantage of me.¡± ¡°You call this taking advantage of you?¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Then what about what will happen in the future?¡± His words made Lin Jiao¡¯s imagination run wild. Lin Jiao¡¯s face was even redder than before. She buried her head in his neck and pressed her delicate skin against his corbone. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it in the future.¡± ¡°Do you still remember that you said I could do whatever I wanted?¡± Lin Jiao pinched him. ¡°I remember.¡± She asked him to turn off the nightmp. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep in tomorrow. Let¡¯s go out at noon.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After getting the answer he wanted, Pei Zhi stopped teasing her. He set the rm. ¡°Do you want a good night kiss?¡± ¡°No, good night,¡± Lin Jiao said. In order to prevent him fromunching a sneak attack, she did not even look up. She rested her head on his arm and closed her eyes. Even though she was in an unfamiliar environment, she could still sleep peacefully with him by her side. ... When the first rays of sunlight shone in from the window, they were still sleeping in each other¡¯s arms. At this moment, Jiang Ye and Pei Yn were heading towards the Pei family¡¯s house with many gifts. He drove along the street beside the market and stopped at the Pei family¡¯s house. ¡°Yn.¡± He unbuckled his seatbelt nervously. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early toe?¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re all up.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Pei Yn leaned closer and kissed his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. My parents are very easy to talk to.¡± Jiang Ye was put at ease by her words. He picked up the gift box in the back seat and followed Pei Yn to the entrance. ¡°Grandpa.¡± Pei Yn changed into slippers with him and approached Pei Zhen, who was reading the newspaper on the sofa. She smiled and said, ¡°I brought Jiang Ye back.¡± ... ¡°Hello, Grandpa.¡± Jiang Ye ced the gifts on the coffee table and stood up straight. ¡°I brought you something.¡± Pei Zhen asked him to sit down. He put down the newspaper and looked at the gifts. ¡°Ye, next time youe back, don¡¯t buy anything.¡± He said e back¡¯. Jiang Ye looked at that kind face and felt an indescribably warm feeling. He rxed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Pei Zhen had always been good at reading people. From their casual chat, he could tell that Jiang Ye was a good person. He was very satisfied with Jiang Ye¡¯s personality, especially more so after knowing that Jiang Ye knew how to y chess. ¡°Come and y with me for a while.¡± He sat at the chess table happily. Jiang Ye pulled out a chair. He picked up a white piece and asked Pei Zhen to ce it first. He respected Pei Zhen and did not deliberately lose to him. Pei Yn, who did not understand the chess at all, held a fruit knife and started to peel an apple. ¡°Grandpa, are my mother and the others not up yet?¡± ¡°They¡¯re up.¡± Pei Zhen stared at the chessboard and did not even look at her. ¡°They went out to buy groceries.¡± Chapter 200 - 200 Do You Want to Marry Me? 200 Do You Want to Marry Me? Pei Qisheng would definitely be the one cooking today. He was especially good at cooking, and Pei Yn wanted to try it. She cut the peeled apple into pieces and washed a te of cherries before putting them on the fruit te. ¡°Grandpa, have some fruit.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Pei Zhen picked up a piece of apple. He was so focused on ying chess with Jiang Ye that he did not even notice Pei Qisheng and the othersing back. !! ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± A voice sounded in their ears, scaring them. ¡°If you make a wrong move, you are going to lose.¡± Jiang Ye looked up and greeted them gently. When he smiled, he exuded a gentle aura, like the warm sun in early spring. Bai Ying thought of that night when Pei Yn cried and talked about his background to her. At that time, she wondered what a person who had a traumatic childhood would look like, but when she really saw him, her heart ached. She hid the emotions in her eyes and patted his shoulder gently. ¡°What do you want to eat for lunch? Auntie will make it for you.¡± Jiang Ye was touched. ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± ¡°Can you eat spicy food?¡± ¡°As long as it¡¯s not too spicy.¡± Bai Ying asked for his opinion before pulling Pei Qisheng into the kitchen. Time passed quickly. The sound of cooking finally stopped at noon, and the dining room was filled with fragrance. There were seven dishes and a soup on the dining table in the dining room. Wisps of steam rose from the bowls and tes, making people drool. ¡°Ye, try this.¡± Bai Ying picked up a piece of braised beef brisket with potatoes that she had made for him, her eyes shing with anticipation. The others did not touch their chopsticks. They looked at Jiang Ye with ¡®sympathy¡¯. Jiang Ye picked up the brisket in confusion. He chewed twice. When the sour taste spread out in his mouth, he finally understood why they looked at him with ¡®sympathy¡¯. ¡°How¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Um, the beef is very tender.¡± He narrowed his eyes from the sourness and swallowed it without chewing. Pei Qisheng ate a piece skeptically. For a moment, he felt so sour that he wanted to vomit. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± Against his conscience, he gave her a thumbs up and moved the te away to prevent her from eating it. ¡°It tastes too strong for you.¡± Bai Ying had always eaten lightly. Hearing that, she did not suspect anything and quickly picked up some food for Jiang Ye. Fortunately, she did not cook much. Other than scrambled eggs with tomatoes, everything else was cooked by Pei Qisheng. ¡°Dad, do you want beef?¡± Bai Ying rmended with a smile when she saw that Pei Zhen did not pick up a single piece of beef. ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhen said that his teeth were not good. He clinked sses with Jiang Ye and looked at Pei Qisheng . ¡°Qisheng, you¡¯ve worked hard recently. Eat more.¡± Pei Qisheng¡¯s lips twiched. He finished the five or six pieces of beef that Bai Ying picked up and drank three sses of water to wash off the sourness in his mouth. After the meal, Pei Yn took the initiative to clean up the dishes together with Jiang Ye. There was a dishwasher in the kitchen, so they didn¡¯t have to do it themselves. Therefore, after wiping the oil off the table, they sat back in the living room and started chatting. ¡°Old Pei, are you done eating?¡± A familiar voice entered everyone¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯m done eating.¡± ¡°ying chess at two o¡¯clock?¡± Pei Zhen walked to the window with his walking stick and looked at Chu Kui. ¡°Not today.¡± He leaned against the window sill. ¡°Jiang Ye is here. Let¡¯s y mahjong.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Kui took a sip of water from the thermos. ¡°I¡¯ll take an afternoon nap beforeing over.¡± Pei Zhen then closed the window. He walked unhurriedly towards the staircase, not forgetting to let them rest too. ¡°Yn, bring Ye back to your room to rest for a while.¡± There were only four bedrooms on the second floor. No matter how embarrassed Jiang Ye was, he went upstairs to rest for a moment under the urging of the Pei couple. Pei Yn¡¯s bedroom was not big. There was a long red wooden table opposite the door. The table was filled with items. Not only were there cosmetics, jewelry boxes, and photo albums, but there were also two teddy bears. ¡°Jiang Ye, are you sleepy?¡± Pei Yn held his hand and sat on the sofa, leaning on his shoulder. ¡°Not really.¡± Jiang Ye leaned back. He looked up at the yellow wall and could vaguely see the traces of time on it. If he had not seen it with his own eyes, he would not have believed that their living environment was so simple. He suddenly said, ¡°Yn, I finally know why you¡¯re different from others.¡± ¡°Because of my family?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He held her waist tightly. ¡°They¡¯re the least arrogant and the kindest people I¡¯ve ever met.¡± ¡°If they don¡¯t like you, they won¡¯t be kind.¡± ¡°I can feel it.¡± From the moment he entered, he felt the warmth they gave him. ... ¡°Are you nervous now?¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Ye looked at the table again. He picked up the photo album and flipped through it with Pei Yn. The first page was filled with photos taken during her childhood. Her chubby face made people want to pinch it. The second and third pages were photos of her preschool age. After that, there were photos of her teenage years. ¡°Did you grow up with Chu Yuzhou?¡± Jiang Ye couldn¡¯t help but ask after seeing many photos of Pei Yn and Chu Yuzhou together. ¡°Yes, he used to y with me when I was young.¡± ¡°That¡¯s nice.¡± ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Pei Yn did not know what he meant and quickly said, ¡°It¡¯s definitely impossible between us.¡± ¡°No.¡± Jiang Ye did not think in that way. ... He closed the photo album andy down on the soft nket with her. ¡°I¡¯m just very envious.¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to be envious of?¡± Pei Yn rested her head on his arm. ¡°We have a whole lifetime to spend together.¡± Jiang Ye wasforted by her words. He stared at her eyes and suddenly had the urge to marry her. ¡°Yn.¡± On impulse, he asked, ¡°Do you want to marry me?¡± Pei Yn did not react for a moment. Her eyshes fluttered like a butterfly, pping its wings to cast a faint shadow on her skin. The long silence made Jiang Ye feel uneasy. He pursed his lips and was about to say, ¡°I¡¯m just asking.¡± However, he saw her raise her left hand. ¡°Where is the diamond ring?¡± Pei Yn raised her chin, the excitement and joy in her eyes almost overflowing. She cleared her throat. ¡°Hurry up.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t have it¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t bring it?¡± He hadn¡¯t even bought it. Jiang Ye pulled her into his arms, his heart racing. He kissed her forehead. ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you next year.¡± ¡°Then you have to give me a big one.¡± ¡°Definitely.¡± Pei Yn imagined him kneeling on one knee and couldn¡¯t help but smile sweetly. She believed that that day was not far away. Chapter 201 - 201 Beauty and the Beast 201 Beauty and the Beast As New Year¡¯s Eve approached, Lin City became even colder. The howling wind rustled the trees. There were no more kids ying in the neighborhood anymore, and even fewer residents came in and out. Lin Jiao got up from the bed and walked to the entrance with sleepy eyes under the urging of the doorbell. The moment the door opened, the cold wind blew in, making her shiver. !! ¡°Didn¡¯t you go back to the old mansion?¡± She rubbed her arms and asked Pei Yn and Lin Jiao toe in quickly. ¡°We¡¯ll go back tomorrow.¡± Jiang Ye put his arm around Pei Yn and walked towards the living room. They took off their down jackets and sat side by side on the sofa. ¡°Jiaojiao, have you had lunch?¡± Pei Yn held the cup to warm her. ¡°I have.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you dress up.¡± Tonight, Chu Yuzhou was having a party at the vi. The theme was ¡°Beauty and the Beast¡±. Although they did not understand why he chose this theme, they had no objections to it and were surprisingly enthusiastic. ¡°I don¡¯t know which one to wear.¡± Lin Jiao was choosing among the evening gowns. ¡°The one with champagne color or the one with sapphire blue color?¡± ¡°The end of the dress is not puffy enough.¡± Pei Yn took out a ck gown. ¡°This is puffy.¡± This evening gown was graceful and sexy. Lin Jiao had yet to wear it since she bought it. She walked behind the curtain and changed into it. She stood in front of the mirror while lifting up the hem and looked satisfied. ¡°Help me get my gloves.¡± Pei Yn opened the second drawer. She found a pair of ck gauze gloves that matched the evening gown and slowly put them on her. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you have a crown?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯llb your hair like a princess.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao opened the jewelry cab and took the opportunity to choose an essory while Pei Yn was doing her hair. At Pei Yn¡¯s suggestion, she put on a floral ne and earrings before sitting in front of the dressing table to put on makeup. When Pei Yn was done doing her hair, Lin Jiao put down the makeup brush and proceeded to thest step. She put on lipstick. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°You are simply gorgeous.¡± Pei Yn brushed her curly hair away from her shoulder, her eyes filled with smiles. After leaving the apartment, the three of them wrapped in down jackets headed to the parking lot and arrived at the party before six o¡¯clock. A ck SUV drove past the golf course and stopped outside the elegant European-style vi. Melodious music came from inside the house, covering the sound of the wind and the rustling of the trees. ¡°Hey!¡± A man in a big-mouthed monkey mask poked his head out from behind the door, scaring them. Lin Jiao was taken aback. She sized up the man in the suit in front of her and could tell who he was from his figure and voice, ¡°Chu Yuzhou?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Chu Yuzhou leaned against the door and touched the hair on the monkey mask. ¡°Am I handsome?¡± ¡°Ugly!¡± Pei Yn was so frightened by him that she almost screamed. ¡°How am I ugly? Are you blind?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the blind one.¡± ¡°Are there any more masks?¡± Jiang Ye looked interested and wanted to try. ¡°Of course.¡± As soon as they walked to the sofa, they saw many ¡®animals¡¯ looking up. Zhou Yanshen, who was wearing a demon rabbit, yed with a dagger with his legs crossed. There was a circle of blood on his lips, making him look terrifying. Sitting next to Zhou Yanshen, Shen Yi was wearing a ck rhinoceros mask. His eyes were half-closed, and his long mouth was slightly open, revealing two fangs. On the other side, Qu Shao was wearing a pig mask. There was a long scar on the pig face, and the skin around his eyes and mouth was festering. It was so realistic that it gave people goosebumps. ¡°Jiang Ye, which one do you want?¡± Qu Shao pointed at the masks and headgear on the coffee table and asked him to choose. ¡°The Demon Panda is not bad.¡± ¡°Panther is pretty cool too.¡± In the end, Jiang Ye chose the Demon Panda. He put it on and looked at himself in the mirror. He wanted to take a photo with them when he realized that not everyone was here yet. ¡°Is Uncle still on the way?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here way before you.¡± Zhou Yanshen raised his hand that was holding the dagger and pointed in the direction of the washroom. The moment he looked up, he happened to catch Qian Yue¡¯s gaze. ¡°Do you want to y with the dagger?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qian Yue whispered into his ear, her warm breath brushing past his skin, ¡°When does it start?¡± ¡°After dinner.¡± ¡°Is everything ready upstairs?¡± ... ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen lowered his head, his gazending on her fair corbone. ¡°Are you cold?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not cold. The heater is on.¡± Qian Yue picked up her ss and chatted with Lin Jiao. When she saw Pei Zhie out, she raised her chin to remind Lin Jiao. A shadow loomed over her. Lin Jiao turned around and met that dark gaze. ¡°Jiaojiao, you are beautiful today.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s fingertips ran across her shoulder andnded on the ck veil, as if he was helping her tidy it up. He was wearing the suit he bought in Parisst time. His hair was carefully styled, and his shirt was buttoned to the top. There was a simple silver cor pin on his tie, making the suit look very formal. On his straight nose was a pair of silver-rimmed sses. Under the light of the chandelier, they shone with a dazzling metallic luster. From his sses to his cufflinks, they were all to Lin Jiao¡¯s taste. She smiled. ¡°Why are you suddenly thinking of wearing a tie?¡± ¡°It looks good on this suit.¡± Pei Zhi walked around the sofa and sat beside her. ¡°Does it look good?¡± ¡°It does.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± He held her hand tightly through the gauze gloves. ¡°Unless you kiss me.¡± ... He wanted to trick her into kissing him again. Lin Jiao stuffed the candy into his mouth and asked him to choose a mask. ¡°We¡¯ll take a group photo after you put it on.¡± Pei Zhi nced at the coffee table. He picked up the fierce-looking gray wolf mask and slowly put it on. Then, he led his little white rabbit to the middle. The selfie stick that had been adjusted stood in front of the window. They stood in front of the camera,ughing and joking. ¡°Cluck¡ª¡± The shutter clicked. Jiang Ye brought the camera over to show them. Laughter filled the vi. They each saved the photo to their phone and went to the dining room to eat. Chapter 202 - 202 Pei Zhi’s Confession on New Year’s Eve 202 Pei Zhi¡¯s Confession on New Year¡¯s Eve The lights in the vi shone on the group of men and women sitting on the carpet drinking. The sound of sses clinking stopped. Chu Yuzhou cleared his throat and suggested, ¡°How about we re-experience our childhood?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°By ying the games we yed in childhood.¡± !! ¡°What kind of game?¡± Qian Yue took the tissue from Zhou Yanshen. He nced at Lin Jiao. ¡°Hide-and-seek.¡± Zhou Yanshen said, ¡°That sounds fun.¡± He looked around. ¡°This ce is big enough. It¡¯s not easy to find.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s ying the seeker?¡± ¡°Rock Paper Scissors. Whoever loses will y the seeker.¡± Lin Jiao thought that no one wanted to y, but to her surprise, they were cooperative. She clenched her fist and reached out her right hand. Then¡ª She and Qu Shao lost. ¡°Stand at the back.¡± Chu Yuzhou found a suitable spot for the two of them. ¡°Qu Shao, set the rm.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°Three or four minutes.¡± Qu Shao agreed. ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± He and Lin Jiao faced the white wall and listened to the footsteps leave. As soon as the rm went off, he turned off the screen. ¡°I¡¯ll be in charge of the first and second floors. You go to the third floor and the rooftop.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao slowly turned around. She walked up the spiral staircase and was about to go up to the third floor from the corner when she stopped because the floor was filled with smallmps. She stopped at the staircase on the third floor nervously. An arrow made of roses came into view. She followed the arrow to the left. Wherever she passed, LED lights in the shape of stars lit up. Under the light hung different photos. The first photo was taken three years ago on Pei Zhi¡¯s twenty-seventh birthday. She stood on his right and smiled shyly. The second photo was taken two years ago. On the night of the second day of Chinese New Year, they sat at the entrance of the Pei family¡¯s small courtyard and set off fireworks. The third photo was taken a year ago. They cosyed as Joker and Harley Quinn on Halloween and went to Zhou Yanshen¡¯s house for a party. In the past, they didn¡¯t have many photos together. Now that she looked at the photos, she realized that he was looking at her sideways in every photo, his eyes filled with unconceble gentleness. Lin Jiao walked forward with red eyes. This year, there were more photos of them together on different asions. Be it in Paris or at his house, every photo brought back many memories. Walking to the end of the arrow, she gently pushed open the ss door. Hundreds of silver-white balloons were blown into the night sky by the wind. There was a note hanging on every balloon string. She could clearly see every line of words. ¡°Jiaojiao, I like you.¡± ¡°Be my girlfriend, okay?¡± The moment the balloons floated away, the mist in Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes turned into tears. She retracted her gaze with tears in her eyes and looked at Pei Zhi, who was standing at the end of the sea of roses. She picked up her dress and ran towards him. The moment Pei Zhi pulled her into his arms, fireworks shot up into the sky. The P and L-shaped fireworks lit up the ink-like night and bloomed with a dazzling light. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and leaned over to touch her forehead. ¡°I like you.¡± His voice was trembling, indicating his nervousness. Lin Jiao sniffed. She grabbed the corner of his suit jacket tightly and sobbed. ¡°I like you too.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t asked yet.¡± ¡°Then ask.¡± Pei Zhi looked into her tear-stained eyes. ¡°Are you willing to be my girlfriend?¡± ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡± ¡°Say that again.¡± Lin Jiao stood on her tiptoes. ¡°I am willing.¡± She pressed her lips against his and closed her eyes to feel his breathing. A cheer came after they kissed. Zhou Yanshen, who was leaning against the wall, witnessed the entire confession and suddenly felt that the love candle he usedst time didn¡¯t look as good. He looked sideways at Qian Yue. When he saw the envy in her eyes, he decided to ask Pei Zhi for advice before confessing next time. ¡°I want to be in a rtionship too.¡± Chu Yuzhou sighed, causing everyone to look at him ¡°Then do it.¡± ¡°But no one wants to be in a rtionship with me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Qu Shao blew out a puff of smoke and elbowed him. ¡°The one you savedst time is not bad.¡± ... Chu Yuzhou was speechless. He shook the images of the girl in his mind and followed them back unhurriedly. The ss door opened and closed. A cold wind swept up the roses, making them dance in the air. The heater in the living room rushed in from all directions, dispelling the lingering coldness on them along with the alcohol. ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve is in four hours.¡± Jiang Ye looked up at the clock opposite. ¡°Time passes too quickly.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shen Yi sat on the carpet. ¡°I feel like I didn¡¯t do anything this year.¡± Chu Yuzhou said, ¡°Me too.¡± He forked fruits from the fruit te and asked Pei Zhi, ¡°Brother Pei, how many bedrooms are there upstairs?¡± ¡°Six.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll sleep here tonight.¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°They¡¯re all king size beds. Go up and pick whichever one you like.¡± ¡°Is this vi yours?¡± ... ¡°Yes, I bought it a few years ago.¡± ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you staying here?¡± Lin Jiao leaned on his broad shoulder and took two sips of red wine. ¡°It¡¯s too big and I feel lonely here.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Zhou Yanshen understood his feelings. ¡°It¡¯s suitable for a family of three to live here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not buying a vi.¡± Qu Shao raised his ss and toasted them. ¡°But I don¡¯t mind if my boss gives me one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like you can¡¯t afford it.¡± ¡°How can buying it myself and getting it for free be the same?¡¯ His reply made everyoneugh. Zhou Yanshen ced his hand on his shoulder and smiled yfully. ¡°In your dream, you can have everything you want.¡± ¡°Are you in my dream? If not, I don¡¯t want to dream.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re thirsty.¡± He picked up the red wine bottle and filled Qu Shao¡¯s ss. Qu Shao carefully ced the ss on the coffee table and found the dice cup from the cab. ¡°It¡¯s boring to just drink. Who wants to y?¡± ¡°All of us.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we take turns?¡± Shen Yi got some more dice cups and ced one in front of each of them. Chapter 203 - 203 I Won’t Let You Off 203 I Won¡¯t Let You Off The sound of dice colliding echoed in their ears. They opened the dice cup together and started the first round of the game. The wind outside the window gradually stopped, but there were more and more empty bottles piled up by the sofa. Perhaps because she was in a good mood, Lin Jiao could still stay sober at the end. She held Pei Zhi¡¯s arm and stepped into the second bedroom on the left on the second floor. She locked the door to block out the other sounds. !! ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi, who reeked of alcohol, pressed her against the wall and leaned over to kiss her lips. His breath brushed past her skin, making her feel itchy. Lin Jiao was in a daze from the kiss. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ced her hands at the back of his head. Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened and he kissed her even more passionately. He held her waist tightly and moved towards the bed, whispering into her ear, ¡°I like you so much.¡± She did not know how excited and happy he was the moment she said ¡°I am willing¡±. Not only was his heart beating wildly, but even the blood in his body seemed to be boiling. A faint fragrance of cypress enveloped Lin Jiao. She asked out of the blue, ¡°Do you want to take a shower together?¡± Pei Zhi swallowed hard. ¡°No.¡± He buried his head in her neck and sniffed the sweetness on her body. Veins popped out on his hands. He was clearly restraining the desire that surged in his heart. ¡°Then move aside.¡± Lin Jiao retracted her hands and pushed his shoulder, stepping on the floor barefooted. She took off the essories on her neck and earlobes and ced them on the round table beside her before looking at a man lying on the bed. There was only one night light on. Hey still and did not move his gaze away from her, making her heart soften. Lin Jiao unzipped her gown, but at this moment, the unzipping sound was magnified in his ears. She took off her heavy ck gown and smiled seductively. ¡°Are you really not going to shower with me? Then I¡¯ll lock the door.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened. All his rationality crumbled at this moment. A second before the figure disappeared into the bathroom, he raised his hand to grab the door handle and entered before mming it shut. The sound of flowing water was endless. Their ovepping figures were reflected on the frosted ss for a long time before they separated. ¡°Are you still going to be naughty?¡± Pei Zhi stared at her flushed face and smiled. Lin Jiao red at him. ¡°Who¡¯s being naughty?¡± ¡°Who do you think it is?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me anyway.¡± She turned on the tap to wash her fingertips. Pei Zhi pinched her chin and rubbed it. Before she could open her mouth and bite his fingers, he pulled his hand away. He hugged her as usual as theyy on the soft nket. ¡°If you are naughty again, I won¡¯t let you off next time.¡± ¡°Did you let me off just now?¡± ¡°Did I not?¡± Lin Jiao opened her palm. ¡°Say that again?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about this.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her eyshes and whispered into her ear. His throat felt like it had been soaked in good wine, sounding especially mellow. Lin Jiao¡¯s face was burning. She lowered her eyes and leaned close to his neck to avoid looking at his bewitching face. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. Don¡¯t talk.¡± As soon as her slightly hot skin touched him, Pei Zhi had no choice but to swallow the words that were stuck in his throat. He stopped teasing her. ¡°Good night, Mrs. Pei.¡± The night light turned off and the bedroom fell into darkness. Two heartbeats of different frequency intertwined. The hour hand quietly turned half a circle. On New Year¡¯s Eve, the sun that had disappeared for an entire week finally shone through the clouds and onto the streets. A faint sound of footsteps came from the stairs and stopped in the dining room. They did not sleep for longst night and were still sleepy. However, because it was New Year¡¯s Eve, they had to go back home and must only set off before ten o¡¯clock. ¡°Gather here at two in the afternoon on the third day of the new year.¡± Qu Shao sent a location in the group chat. ¡°Bring everything you need.¡± ¡°Is it cold over there?¡± ¡°About the same.¡± ¡°Are we flying straight to Mn?¡± Chu Yuzhou pressed the car key and walked out unhurriedly. ¡°Rome.¡± Qu Shao zipped up his down jacket and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Pei Zhi sent Lin Jiao to Zhou Yanshen¡¯s car. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯lle and find you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to your house the day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He kissed her forehead and watched her get into the back seat with Qian Yue. ¡°Be careful on the way.¡± One after another, cars drove away from the vi in different directions. The old district was still lively. Children were ying in the alley, the candied hawthorns in their hands contrasting with the rednterns hanging on the streets. ... Theirughter and the couplets that every family pasted at the door made the festive atmosphere even stronger. Jiang Ye stepped on the brakes at the entrance of the Pei family¡¯s house and walked into the warm living room with them to make dumplings together. ¡°Jiang Ye, teach me.¡± Pei Yn didn¡¯t know how to make dumplings. Jiang Ye looked at the grotesque looking dumplings. He held back hisughter and patiently exined the steps. There was a lot of flour on his fingertips, covering the veins on the back of his hand, but it looked even sexier. ¡°Did you get the hang of it?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± She was too busy looking at his hands. Jiang Ye followed her gaze and looked down. Helpless, he walked behind her and took her hands, taking her how to do it step by step. His breathnded on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t get distracted.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s ears were already numb. She resisted the urge to kiss him and studied seriously. Pei Zhi, who was standing opposite them, chuckled and shook his head. ... After making more than twenty dumplings, he took out his phone to take a photo before sending it to Lin Jiao. Pei Zhi: [Picture] Pei Zhi: ¡°I just made dumplings.¡± Lin Jiao: ¡°It looks awesome. Star-struck.jpg.¡± Pei Zhi: ¡°Is there a reward?¡± Lin Jiao: ¡°What reward do you want now?¡± Pei Zhi: ¡°I want to hear you call me Hubby.¡± Lin Jiao: ¡°Expressionless face.jpg¡± ¡°Pei Zhi,e and hang thenterns.¡± Pei Zhen saw that he had finished making dumplings and assigned him a new task. ¡°Right away.¡± After Pei Zhi replied on WeChat, he took thenterns. He hung onemp each at the ce Pei Zhen pointed at and wrapped LED lights around the trees at the door to hype up the New Year atmosphere. Chapter 204 - 204 I’ll Wear It for You on Your Birthday 204 I¡¯ll Wear It for You on Your Birthday At night, rednterns lit up at the entrance of the residences in the neighborhood. The television station was broadcasting the Spring Festival G, transmitting the joy to every house. In the television tower not far from the old city district, fireworks were set off at twelve o¡¯clock. One only needed to stand in front of the window to see it. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Zhi called Lin Jiao and looked at the fireworks in the distance. ¡°Happy New Year.¡± His affectionate voice entered her ears, as if he was murmuring beside her. ¡°Happy New Year.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and listened carefully. ¡°Are you still watching TV?¡± ¡°Yes. How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m preparing to go upstairs.¡± ¡°Then wash up first. We¡¯ll talk after that.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, he turned off the screen and lowered his right hand. Pei Zhi returned to the living room and helped Pei Zhen, who was drunk, up the stairs. Not long after they left, Pei Qisheng turned off the television and stood up to say to Pei Yn, ¡°Don¡¯t stay up toote.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Pei Yn put down the fruit te and watched him disappear around the corner before going upstairs with Jiang Ye. It was rare for them to share a bed. While Jiang Ye was showering, she changed intoce pajamas and waited for him toe out to be surprised. The sound of water gradually stopped, and the steam apanied his footsteps as he approached the bed. Jiang Ye lifted the nket and a hot figure entered his vision. Before his brain could react, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him onto the bed. He looked at the nymph in his arms in a daze, his back stiff. His throat was so dry that he could not even make a sound. ¡°Do I look good?¡± Pei Yn sat up straight and pushed aside the hair on her shoulder, letting him see the exquisite design of this nightgown. Jiang Ye did not answer. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°Not cold.¡± She cupped his cheek, forcing him to look at her. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to look at me closely?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡± ¡°Sleep after you take a look.¡± He did not want to take a look at it at all. Jiang Ye couldn¡¯t take it anymore and wrapped her in the nket, covering even her neck. ¡°You look good.¡± He clenched and rxed his hands at his sides, his voice extremely hoarse. ¡°Yn, change back first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll get cold in the middle of the night. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± ¡°Is there no other reason?¡± Pei Yn moved into his arms, the smile on her lips bing more and more sly. Her approach made Jiang Ye feel even worse. He tried his best to ignore the temptation and not give her a chance to mess around, but the veins on the back of his hand were getting more and more obvious. He kissed her forehead and coaxed her to change. Pei Yn could not bear to torture him anymore. She sat at the end of the bed and changed into normal pajamas. ¡°Can I hug you now?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye stretched out his arms. He put his arm around her waist and crawled into bed, no longer thinking about what he had just seen. ¡°There¡¯s another reason.¡± ¡°Is it what I think it is?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Pei Yn raised her chin and kissed his lips. ¡°I¡¯ll wear it for you to see on your birthday.¡± There were still three months before his birthday. Jiang Ye chuckled. ¡°Alright.¡± He reached out and turned off the night light, shrouding the room in darkness. Pei Yn, who was leaning in his arms, felt extremely at ease. She closed her eyes and fell asleep with him when the fireworks outside the window stopped. Early in the morning on the first day of the new year, children woke up early to y around in the courtyard. The barking of dogs mixed with firecrackers resounded everywhere. ording to the weather forecast, the temperature in Lin City had plummeted from six degrees to one. It was so cold that they had to put on more clothes. After sending red packets to his niece and nephew-inw, Pei Zhi got into the car and quickly drove away. Most of the shops on the street were closed, and there were not many cars on the road. He stopped at the mall behind the CBD and walked straight to the gift area on the first floor to choose a new year gift for Lin Jiao¡¯s family. Coincidentally, he bumped into two ¡®acquaintances¡¯. ¡°Tian, it¡¯s enough.¡± Gu Quan nced at the shopping cart full of stuff and stopped Su Tian from putting the tea into the cart. ¡°Is it enough?¡± ¡°We have plenty of tea at home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Tea won¡¯t expire.¡± Su Tian put the box of tea into the shopping cart and looked left and right at the shelves. The fact that she insisted on buying unnecessary stuff gave Gu Quan a headache. He looked away in frustration and noticed the man standing opposite him choosing wine. ¡°President Pei?¡± He had seen Pei Zhi¡¯s interview in the financial newspaper and recognized him at a nce. ... Pei Zhi looked up. He sized up Gu Quan indifferently, the oppressive aura he exuded making it difficult to approach him. ¡°You are?¡± Gu Quan spoke to him untteringly. ¡°I¡¯m the vice president of the Gu Corporation, Gu Quan.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I want to discuss a cooperation with you after the new year,¡± he said bluntly. ¡°Can I have your business card?¡± Pei Zhi picked up two bottles of wine from the shelf and ced them in the shopping cart. ¡°You can find the number on the official website.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I talk to you directly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± A trace of disappointment shed across Gu Quan¡¯s eyes. He knew very well that with his status as the vice president, he wasn¡¯t qualified to talk directly to Pei Zhi, so he could only give up. ¡°The tea here is not bad.¡± He stopped talking about work and said casually, ¡°Take your time. We¡¯ll get going first.¡± ... ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi did not look at him. His god-like appearance and noble temperament made Su Tian curious about him. She asked Gu Quan, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°Sheng Heng¡¯s boss.¡± ¡°Thepany that sells robots?¡± Her eyes lit up as she asked curiously, ¡°He must be very rich, right?¡± ¡°I think he has a worth of more than 60 billion.¡± Gu Quan could not remember the exact number. In any case, it was a height he could not reach at this stage. ¡°More than sixty billion?!¡± ¡°Probably even higher after the new year.¡± Su Tian¡¯s heart started to race when she smelled money. ¡°He looks so young.¡± She held Gu Quan¡¯s arm. ¡°Is Sheng Heng his family business?¡± ¡°No, he founded it himself.¡± ¡°That good?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan admired him. ¡°He¡¯s very famous in the industry. Many people want to get to know him but can¡¯t.¡± Su Tian thought for a second and asked, ¡°Is he married?¡± ¡°No.¡± He walked to the cashier and took out the stuff from the shopping cart. ¡°Quite a lot of women want to marry him though.¡± Chapter 205 - 205 It’s Good For Everyone If Your Take the Money and Leave 205 It¡¯s Good For Everyone If Your Take the Money and Leave ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡± Su Tian opened a box of mints. ¡°It¡¯s hard to find a handsome and rich man like him.¡± However, with her status, it was impossible for her to be with him. Gu Quan held the gifts and led her to the car. He thought of his parents¡¯ attitude towards her and stopped talking about Pei Zhi. ¡°My mother is soft-hearted. Talk to her moreter.¡± On the fifteenth, the Gu couple rejected Su Tian¡¯s visit with the excuse that they were not at home. She thought that the oue would be the same this time. She did not expect them to agree. ¡°I know.¡± Su Tian put on her seatbelt and smiled as sweetly as ever. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely perform well.¡± Gu Quan stared at her smile and for a moment, the figure of another person shed across his mind. Heposed himself and drove towards the Gu residence. Su Tian picked up a portion of the gifts and held Gu Quan¡¯s arm as they approached the door. When they reached the door of the living room, they heardughter. When they looked around, they realized that there were guests sitting on the sofa. ¡°Mom.¡± Gu Quan interrupted them. He ced the gifts on the coffee table and patted his mother gently on the back. ¡°These are the gifts Tian Tian bought for you.¡± Su Tian greeted obediently, ¡°Hello, Auntie.¡± She revealed the most perfect posture and smile, looking gentle and harmless. Zhang Wanlian nodded. ¡°Sit down first.¡± Her attitude was much better than thest time they met. Su Tian smiled even more, but before she could find a topic to talk about, she was beaten to it. ¡°Brother Quan, do you still remember me?¡± There were two girls sitting on the sofa opposite them. The one who spoke was the same type as Su Tian, but inparison, this girl was much prettier. Gu Quan searched for her name in his mind. His gaze stopped on that familiar face. Looking at him, Su Tian thought that he was attracted to this girl so much that he was in a daze. She suppressed the emotions in her eyes and sat closer to him, as if she was dering that Gu Quan was hers. ¡°Tang Manxi?¡± He did not notice Su Tian¡¯s actions and thought for a long time beforeing up with a name. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t remember me.¡± Tang Manxi sat up straight and looked at him with sparkling eyes. During the summer vacation in high school, she came to Lin City to y for a month and stayed with the Gu family. During that period of time, they often yed together and got along very well like a pair of siblings. However¡ª She did not want to be his sibling anymore. ¡°Why would I forget you?¡± Gu Quan¡¯s expression softened. He held Su Tian¡¯s hand and nced at the youngdy beside her. ¡°Is this your friend?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my younger sister.¡± Tang Manxi pinched Tang Ni¡¯s arm and asked her to look up. ¡°Tang Ni.¡± This voice made Tang Ni¡¯s hair stand on end. She endured the pain in her arm and looked up, revealing her beautiful face and forcing a smile. Seeing that she was wearing a hearing aid, Gu Quan suppressed the curiosity in his heart and smiled gently. He looked away. ¡°Where¡¯s my father?¡± ¡°Making a phone call upstairs.¡± Zhang Wanlian looked at Tang Manxi as if she was looking at her own daughter. ¡°Manxi, when will your parentse?¡± ¡°On the third day of new year.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a meal together.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Tang Manxi looked at Gu Quan. ¡°Brother Quan, my family moved to Lin City.¡± ¡°How long ago?¡± ¡°At the end of November.¡± She ignored Su Tian and said ambiguously, ¡°We can see each other more often in the future.¡± Zhang Wanlian put down her coffee cup. ¡°Quan, bring your two sisters to look around in the garden. I¡¯ll call you when it¡¯s time to eat.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Gu Quan slowly stood up. Before he could take a step forward, he heard her say, ¡°Su Tian, stay and talk with me.¡± Su Tian stayed in the living room alone. She took the lemonade from the nanny. Her movements were natural and graceful. ¡°Auntie, your skin condition is really good.¡± She started the conversation with praise. Unfortunately, Zhang Wanlian did not buy it. She crossed her hands and ced them between her knees. ¡°Miss Su, when do you n to break up with Quan?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve decided to let Quan get engaged to Manxi.¡± It was a short sentence, but it sounded like a drum beating in Su Tian¡¯s ears, making her ears hurt. She gripped the ss tightly. ¡°He agreed?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if he agrees or not.¡± ¡°You made a decision without his permission. Have you considered his feelings?¡± Zhang Wanlian asked, ¡°Who do you think he will choose between you and the Gu Corporation?¡± ¡°You¡¯re forcing him.¡± ... ¡°I¡¯m forcing him? Aren¡¯t you forcing him too?¡± Su Tian was speechless. She looked at Zhang Wanlian with tears in her eyes, her face as pale as paper. ¡°There¡¯s ten million in here.¡± Zhang Wanlian took out a bank card and ced it on the coffee table. ¡°It¡¯s good for everyone if you take the money and leave.¡± To Su Tian, ten million yuan was a huge sum of money, but she did not want it now. She did not believe that they would be so heartless as to force Gu Quan to make a choice, so she decided to take a gamble. ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± ¡°You think it¡¯s not enough?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve misunderstood.¡± She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said stubbornly, ¡°I won¡¯t break up with him.¡± Zhang Wanlian was not surprised. She asked the nanny to make another pot of flower tea and sent a WeChat message to Gu Chengyi. ¡°Miss Su, I hope you won¡¯t regret it.¡± ¡°Do you hate me that much?¡± ... ¡°I don¡¯t hate you.¡± Su Tian saw that figure from the corner of her eye and cried even harder than before. ¡°I beg you, please don¡¯t separate us, okay?¡± With just one sentence, Gu Quan understood what happened while he wasn¡¯t present. He hurriedly walked up to Su Tian and frowned in frustration. ¡°Mom, what did you say to her this time?¡± ¡°You know very well what I said.¡± Zhang Wanlian¡¯s annoyance was written all over her face. She switched off the screen on the phone and nced coldly at Su Tian, who was crying non-stop. ¡°Stop crying. It¡¯s annoying.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Su Tian humbled herself and trembled in Gu Quan¡¯s arms in fear. Hearing her sobbing, Gu Quan¡¯s thoughts were in a mess. There was nothing else he could do other thanforting her. He took out a tissue to wipe Su Tian¡¯s face. Just as he was about to bring her to the washroom, Gu Chengyi¡¯s voice came from upstairs. ¡°Tian, wait for me.¡± He picked up the ss of water and fed her before turning to go upstairs. The sound of footsteps gradually faded away. In the quiet environment, the sound of the door closing was amplified. Su Tian became even more flustered. Every second she waited became so long that she wanted to escape. At this moment, her uneasiness and Zhang Wanlian¡¯s calmness were in stark contrast. Chapter 206 - 206 Suspecting This Love 206 Suspecting This Love ¡°Auntie.¡± As soon as Tang Manxi returned to the living room, she realized that something was wrong. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing. Are you done looking around the garden?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She leaned against Zhang Wanlian affectionately. ¡°Brother Quan said he¡¯ll bring me to watch a movie tomorrow.¡± Her sweet tone was like a sharp knife that stabbed Su Tian in the heart. !! ¡°What movie do you want to watch?¡± She took a deep breath and took out her phone from the new Louis Vuitton bag. ¡°I¡¯ll book the tickets.¡± ¡°Whatever movie Brother Quan likes.¡± ¡°He rarely watches movies. He¡¯s not picky.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wait for him toe down and choose one with him together.¡± Su Tian wanted to p her. Due to Zhang Wanlian¡¯s presence, she had no choice but to swallow her anger and face them with a gentle and agreeable smile. Twenty minutester, the father and son upstairs finished talking. Gu Quan went downstairs exhausted. Without even saying goodbye, he held Su Tian¡¯s hand and walked out. His departing figure made Tang Manxi panic. She subconsciously chased him to the courtyard and reached out to block Gu Quan from leaving. ¡°Brother Quan, where are you going?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t chosen a movie with you yet.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s gentleness disappeared. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He walked around her and said bluntly, ¡°I have a girlfriend. I can¡¯t go with you.¡± Hispletely different attitude said it all. Tang Manxi guessed something from this change of attitude. In order to give him some space to think, she was not in a hurry to force him. She took half a step back. ¡°Then be careful on the way.¡± Gu Quan did not respond. He got into the driver¡¯s seat and drove out of the vi area with a dark expression, eager to leave the oppressive home. ¡°Quan.¡± Su Tian asked carefully, ¡°Did Uncle ask you to get engaged to her?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Impossible.¡± Gu Quan lit a cigarette while waiting for the traffic light. ¡°I treat her as my sister.¡± He nced at the trees that were blown by the cold wind and thought of what Gu Chengyi had said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you two months. If you can¡¯t make up your mind, I¡¯ll get someone else to take your position as the vice president.¡± ¡°I am not forcing you to marry Manxi, but you absolutely can¡¯t marry her.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve analyzed the pros and cons for you. If you want to ruin your future for a woman, I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Did you and Uncle argue?¡± Su Tian asked, pulling him back from his wandering thoughts. It was more than just arguing. Gu Quan stopped thinking about Gu Chengyi¡¯s ultimatum and stepped on the elerator when the light turned green. He blew out a wisp of smoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± It was impossible for Su Tian not to worry. She could not see the future, nor did she know when they would ever get married. It was inevitable that she would try to think of a backup n for herself.. ¡°Quan.¡± She looked at his side profile. ¡°What are you going to do if they use thepany to force you to break up with me?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I said if.¡± Gu Quan did not know. He was very determined to be with her in the past, but after interacting with her for a period of time, he became less so. ¡°No ifs.¡± He took a deep breath, unwilling to be troubled by this question. ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. I¡¯ll handle it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Su Tian did not ask further. She leaned back in her seat and listened to the soothing music as she looked out the window, silently nning the future. # After her ¡®fianc¨¦¡¯ left, Tang Manxi was no longer in the mood to chat with the Gu couple. She found an excuse to leave. She and Tang Ni got into the Gu family¡¯s car and were driven to a high-end residential building. ¡°Press the elevator.¡± With no one familiar around, she revealed her true colors and ordered Tang Ni around like she was a servant. Tang Ni pressed the button silently. She stared at the rising number of floors. After the ding, she followed Tang Manxi into a house that did not belong to her. ¡°Put my shoes away.¡± Tang Manxi casually kicked off her high heels. She leaned against the soft sofa and slowly lit a cigarette. ¡°Tang Ni, do you know how to talk?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Yeah is not what I want to hear.¡± ... Tang Ni was about to go to the guest bedroom when a cushion was thrown at her. She clenched her fists. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Come here!¡± Tang Manxi suddenly became irritable, her overly high-pitched voice almost prating the ceiling. She pointed at the tip of Tang Ni¡¯s nose and counted to three. Seeing her walk over, she smiled and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t your hearing aid broken?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why can¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°I can hear you.¡± Tang Ni met her gaze. There was no fear in her eyes, only numbness. She and Tang Manxi were half-sisters. To be precise, she was the child of Mr. Tang¡¯s mistress. Her mother died young. In hister years, Mr. Tang felt guilty and brought her over from her grandmother¡¯s house when she was 18 years old. Initially, she was d to have the fatherly love she had been longing for, but as time passed, she realized that Mr. Tang could not give her the love she wanted. ... She even had to face the humiliation that she had never suffered in the past eighteen years. Mr. Tang¡¯s wife and daughter would treat her worse than a dog when he was on a business trip. They would torture her in all kinds of ways, even beating and scolding her. She treated it as a debt repayment for her mother and endured it for four years without thinking of retaliating orining. But now¡­ She did not seem to want to go on living like this. ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you toe over to watch you stand there like a dummy!¡± Tang Manxi kicked her knee, her expression gradually turning ferocious. She did not use much strength, but Tang Ni still took a few steps back to distance herself from her. ¡°If you have something to say, just say it.¡± It was tiring enough to put on a show with her in the Gu family. She just wanted to rest. ¡°Bring me the ashtray.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Mop the floor again and wipe the windows.¡± Tang Manxi looked around. ¡°After that, go out and buy groceries. I want to eat lobsters.¡± Tang Ni turned around and returned to the guest bedroom. She locked the door and let Tang Manxi kick it with all her might like a maniac. ¡°Tang Ni, who allowed you to lock the door?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll count to three. If you don¡¯t open the door, don¡¯t even think about eating tonight, let alone getting a single cent!¡± Ten minutester, the cursing stopped. Tang Ni swiped open the screen of her phone and checked the bnce in her bank card. She sighed silently when she realized that it was less than 3000. She opened her Wechat and sent a message to the supervisor of Bo Yu Club. ¡°Can I move into the staff dormitory after the new year?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The supervisor replied and asked out of concern, ¡°Are you in trouble?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll see you after the New Year.¡± ¡°Alright, bow.jpg.¡± After sending this message, Tang Ni wrapped herself in the nket and fell asleep. Chapter 207 - 207 Leave It Unknown 207 Leave It Unknown On the third day of the new year, it started to snow. The temperature of minus one degree, coupled with the snowkes carried over by the wind, made the airport several times colder than the streets. The snowkes filled the sky. The group took the shuttle bus to the private ne and got in to avoid the cold wind. The interior of the cabin was very spacious. There were two beige sofas ced side by side on the left and three marble square tables on the right. !! There were four sofa chairs at each square table. Behind the chairs were two brownish-red wooden doors, one of which had an LCD screen on it. Behind the wooden door were two beds more than a meter wide. Near the end of the cabin was the food area and the resting area for the flight attendants. ¡°Not bad.¡± Chu Yuzhou sat on the sofa in satisfaction. He took off his down jacket. ¡°When will it take off?¡± ¡°At three o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Twenty minutes to go.¡± ¡°How long will it take to fly to Rome from here?¡± Lin Jiao sat at the marble table and adjusted her seat to find afortable height. Qu Shao said, ¡°Eleven hours.¡± He handed the others a cigarette and threw a match over. ¡°Are there any poker cards here?¡± ¡°Ask the flight attendant.¡± Zhou Yanshen walked to the end of the cabin and asked the flight attendant to bring over two decks of poker cards and dice cups after takeoff. He sat down beside Qian Yue. ¡°They only serve wine. Do you want it?¡± Pei Yn leaned on Jiang Ye¡¯s shoulder. ¡°A little bit. We can sleep after drinking.¡± As she spoke, she yawned. Jiang Ye ced his palm on the top of her head and rubbed it gently. Perhaps because yawning was contagious, Shen Yi said, ¡°I didn¡¯t sleep until four in the morning. I¡¯m too sleepy.¡± ¡°Where did you go?¡± ¡°Nothing. Insomnia.¡± Pei Zhi told him to rest in the back to avoid being disturbed by their talking. At three o¡¯clock sharp, the ne slid forward. The moment the ne left the ground and flew steadily in the air, two flight attendants brought over the wine and fruit tes they needed. The lively atmospherested until evening. After dinner, Shen Yi yed with them until ten o¡¯clock before returning to sleep. The passenger cabin that was filled with the fragrance of wine gradually fell silent. The group of people who were tired from yingy on the sofa and chairs and fell asleep under the nket. At nine o¡¯clock in the morning, the ne stopped at Rome¡¯s Ciampino Airport. The eleven-hour flight ended. Qu Shao took the group of people through the airport to meet up with Ven Olle. ¡°Long time no see!¡± Ven Olle, who was wearing a neon green down jacket, shouted the moment he saw them. Qu Shao asked, ¡°Where¡¯s the car?¡± ¡°In front.¡± Ven Olle shook hands with them one by one. After introducing himself, he gave Pei Zhi, who paid for this trip, a hug. ¡°Vin Olle, which car is yours?¡± Qu Shao asked. ¡°The red one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s this one?¡± Qu Shao pointed at a small bus covered in graffiti. Ven Olle nodded. ¡°Put your luggage down first.¡± He opened the luggagepartment and helped stuff the luggage in. ¡°This car is quite cool.¡± Chu Yuzhou sized up the graffiti that filled the entire car. ¡°The only w is that it¡¯s too red.¡± ¡°It goes with his down jacket.¡± ¡°Green goes with red? You are bullsh*ting again.¡± Ven Olle couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Qu Shao. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get in the car.¡± January was the coldest time in Rome. The temperature in the morning fell to minus five degrees Celsius. It was really cold to stay outside for too long. They took a 12-seater bus and drove 16 kilometers to the hotel. The currency used in Italy was also in euros. After getting the room card, Qu Shao tipped the receptionist 2 euros. There were a total of five two-bedroom suites on the top floor. There were ten of them, and two of them shared a room. In order to help Qian Yue and Zhou Yanshen get closer, Qu Shao arranged for them to stay in one room. Chu Yuzhou and Shen Yi shared a room. Qu Shao and Ven Olle shared a room, and the remaining two couples each shared a room. ¡°How many days are we staying in Rome?¡± Shen Yi dragged his suitcase and walked out of the elevator first. ¡°Two days.¡± ¡°Where to after that?¡± ¡°Florence, Venice, Mn.¡± Pei Zhi opened the door. ¡°Ask Ven Olle about the specific attractions. He¡¯s making arrangements.¡± Qian Yue said, ¡°It¡¯s better not to know where we are going.¡± That way, she would be looking forward to it. They agreed to go out at twelve o¡¯clock and returned to their rooms to pack their luggage and rest for a while. The furnishings in the room were the same as the photos they saw on WeChat. It was decorated in a European style and was extremely elegant. A cold wind swept in from outside the ss door. ... Lin Jiao turned on the heater in the room. When the temperature gradually rose, she took off her down jacket. She ced the toiletries in the bathroom and unpacked her luggage with Pei Zhi. ¡°Are we going to take them all out?¡± ¡®¡±Leave the ones that don¡¯t crumple easily in there.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She hung up her coat and was led to the sofa to rest. ¡°Did you tell your parents that you arrived safely?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Pei Zhi took out his phone from his pocket and swiped the screen to find that it was out of battery. While Lin Jiao was sending a WeChat message, he found a charger to charge his phone and put his arm around her waist. ¡°I saw it just now.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You brought two sets ofce hollow out nightgowns.¡± He deliberately lowered his voice and breathed into her ear. ¡°So what?¡± ¡°Do you want to wear it for me to see?¡± The warmth of his breath was like an electric current that ran from Lin Jiao¡¯s neck to the top of her head. ... ¡°No.¡± She tilted her head to avoid looking at him, her face flushed red. Pei Zhi kissed her lips the next second. His fingertips passed through a few strands of long hair and held the back of her head, enjoying the moment when their breaths intertwined. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He let go of her in time and coaxed her gently, ¡°I want to see it.¡± Lin Jiao calmed her breathing. ¡°When we get back.¡± ¡°Then I want to see you in a nightgown.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The one you surprised me withst time.¡± Pei Zhi touched her face. A scene shed across Lin Jiao¡¯s mind. It was clear enough to make her blush. She pinched his waist. ¡°You don¡¯t get to choose.¡± Chapter 208 - 208 The Mouth of Truth 208 The Mouth of Truth ¡°I¡¯m not picky.¡± Pei Zhi had no right to be picky. ¡°You can wear whatever you want.¡± Hispromise could always make her heart soften. Lin Jiao wrapped her arms around his waist. She did not tell him which one she would wear. ¡°I¡¯ll show you when the timees.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± !! ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°Can¡¯t I even praise you?¡± He caressed her cheek, his calloused fingers brushing past her skin. ¡°Try another way.¡± ¡°Awesome?¡± She chose to remain silent. Lin Jiao rested her head on his shoulder and took a nap for more than twenty minutes. At twelve o¡¯clock, Chu Yuzhou¡¯s voice came from outside the door. He called everyone to go out. After having lunch nearby, they headed to the filming location of the Roman Holiday, za de Espana. za de Espana is located at the foot of the hill of Trinity Church and is known for the Spanish Staircase that leads to the church. No matter what season it was, there was a lively scene in front of the stairs. Tourists were standing in front of the fountain to take photos. One could vaguely hear the melodious singing from the church. ¡°Jiang Ye, help us take two photos.¡± Pei Yn pulled Lin Jiao and Qian Yue up the stairs. ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye squatted down to find an angle. He got the three of them to pose and included the church behind them in the camera. Pei Zhi walked back and forth on the stairs with Jiang Ye and Zhou Yanshen. Apart from admiring the scenery, he also took many photos of them. The remaining three bachelors followed Ven Olle around the church andpeted over long jumps on the stairs. ¡°I won,¡± Shen Yi shouted, not caring about the opinion of the tourists. ¡°Will the winner treat us to coffee?¡± ¡°Where is the coffee shop?¡± Qu Shao looked around. ¡°Over there on the right.¡± Shen Yi called Pei Zhi to ask what they wanted before ordering ten cups. Just as he handed Chu Yuzhou¡¯s cup over, he saw him throw a wink at him. ¡°Brother Yi.¡± He eximed, attracting the attention of the other tourists. ¡°Will your girlfriend be angry if you buy me coffee?¡± Shen Yi found it embarrassing to be with this fool and walked out of the coffee shop with two paper bags. He met Pei Zhi and the others by the fountain and handed them coffee cups. Just as they were about to head to the next attraction, Chu Yuzhou pestered Zhou Yanshen and put on a good show in public with him. He took a sip of Zhou Yanshen¡¯s coffee and said, ¡°Brother Yanshen, if I drink your coffee, will your girlfriend be jealous?¡± Qian Yue, who was amused,ughed so hard that she almost spat out the coffee in her mouth. When sheughed, the others were affected and couldn¡¯t help butugh. Lin Jiao was also in the mood to y. ¡°Brother.¡± She shook Pei Zhi¡¯s arm and called out to him in a soft voice, but before she could say her lines, sheughed out loud. Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Do it again?¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t help butugh.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll do it tonight.¡± He suppressed the darkness in his eyes, determined to get her to call him ¡®Brother¡¯ more. After having enough fun, Chu Yuzhou hummed a tune and got on the bus under Zhou Yanshen¡¯s disdainful gaze. They shuttled through the ancient streets, admiring the grand buildings. Ven Olle brought everyone to Cosmedin Church for a tour. On the way, he picked up the identity of the tour guide and introduced the scene to them in detail. After listening to him talk about the history of churches, Pei Yn asked curiously, ¡°How many churches are there in Rome?¡± ¡°More than seven hundred.¡± He walked around the fountain. ¡°We¡¯ll only watch this one. We won¡¯t go to the others.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so special about this ce?¡± Qu Shao looked around and did not find anything novel. ¡°There¡¯s a Ba de verit¨¤.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°The Mouth of Truth.¡± Pei Zhi summarized Ven Olle¡¯s introduction in one sentence. ¡°A lie detector.¡± They approached the round object carved from marble and sized up the slightly strange face. It was said that as long as a liar put their hand into the stone statue¡¯s mouth, they would be bitten. ¡°Does anyone believe it?¡± Shen Yi, the atheist, thought that this was a ce for couples to show off their love. ¡°People used to believe it.¡± ¡°Which one of you wants to try?¡± ¡°Let me do it.¡± Chu Yuzhou rolled up his sleeves and reached his hand into the mouth of the stone statue first. ¡°It¡¯s a little cold here.¡± ¡°Are you afraid?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I just feel strange.¡± ¡°It looks strange.¡± Jiang Ye looked at Chu Yuzhou, waiting for him to lie. ... Chu Yuzhou thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯m the ugliest.¡± Five secondster, he frowned and pretended to be frightened. ¡°It bit my thumb!¡± ¡°Really! Help me.¡± Qu Shao could not stand it anymore. He grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side before showing him what acting was. ¡°Oh, my God!¡± He looked at the ceiling, his right arm trembling. ¡°It hurts.¡± Everyone watched as he acted like he was suffering from epilepsy. The moment he rolled his eyes, theyughed. Laughter that echoed in the wind floated out of the church, but it could not take away the joy that belonged to them. ¡°Oh¡ª¡ª¡± Night fell quietly, and the temperature dropped again. At night, there were fewer people on the streets. Only the restaurants by the river that enjoyed the night scenery were still filled withughter. ... The soothing music lingered in their ears, as if it could help them rx. The neon lights outside the window shone in andnded on everyone, adding a touch of light to their eyes. ¡°This ham is not bad.¡± Zhou Yanshen forked a piece to Qian Yue¡¯s te and let her try it. His considerateness along the way made Qian Yue¡¯s heart melt. She swallowed the ham and clinked sses with him. She looked at him and smiled. ¡°Eat. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Chapter 209 - 209 We Will Have a Future 209 We Will Have a Future Zhou Yanshen smiled. ¡°As your future boyfriend, shouldn¡¯t I be taking care of you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even know if we have a future.¡± ¡°Of course we have.¡± His smile was especially wide. Qian Yue did not refute. !! She avoided his burning gaze and stuffed a piece of foie gras into his te before continuing to eat. She rarely voiced her concern and only let Zhou Yanshen feel it at all times. ¡°What time are we leaving tomorrow?¡± Chu Yuzhou asked his friends. ¡°About ten o¡¯clock. It¡¯s too cold early in the morning.¡± ¡°That works too.¡± When winter came, the bed became the mostfortable ce. No one wanted to get up early. Lin Jiao put down her knife and fork to admire the night scene. The neon lights were reflected in her eyes, looking like a sky filled with stars. Pei Zhi, who was sitting beside her, could admire the beautiful scene outside in her eyes without looking out the window. He held her hand and let theughter and chatter apany them to the hotel before they disappeared into a suite. The sun and moon alternated, and a few rays of warm sunlight shone on every corner on the earth, waking up everything in the world with a warm light. The well-rested group set off at ten o¡¯clock. The first stop was the Colosseum, andmark building that could amodate 50,000 people. The Colosseum was built during the Roman Empire and was once a ce for diators to fight lions. Under the introduction of the tour guide, Ven Olle, they walked around the first and second floors before heading to the ancient Roman ruins beside them. There were many scenic spots in the ancient Roman ruins, like an open-air museum. It was almost two o¡¯clock when they finished admiring the entire ruin. The moment Pei Yn left the ruins, she finally felt hungry. ¡°Is there a restaurant nearby?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one five hundred meters ahead.¡± ¡°Western restaurant?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care western or eastern. Let¡¯s eat first.¡± Chu Yuzhou was starving. ¡°I feel like I can eat a cow.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating.¡± ¡°Really, I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll order three steaks for youter.¡± Shen Yi ced his hand on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll devour whatever you order.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Positive.¡± Chu Yuzhou finished two steaks in the restaurant and his stomach was about to explode. He stopped Shen Yi from ordering. ¡°Brother Yi, if I don¡¯t stop eating, I¡¯ll be hospitalized.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you can eat a cow?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying. Why did you take it so seriously?¡± ¡°Old buddy, you¡¯re disappointing.¡± Zhou Yanshen crossed his legs and smiled at him mockingly. Chu Yuzhou pretended not to hear him. In order to ease the thirst in his throat, he slowly drank a ss of water and said, ¡°Let¡¯s continue the tour.¡± When Jiang Ye walked out of the restaurant, he handed them cigarettes. He looked back at the ruins. ¡°I realized that the buildings in Rome are rtively close to each other. We should be done touring this afternoon.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Smoke seeped out of Pei Zhi¡¯s lips. He tidied the hood of Lin Jiao¡¯s down jacket and turned to ask, ¡°Where to next?¡± Ven Olle said, ¡°The Trevi Fountain.¡± The Trevi Fountain, near the Piazza Venezia, is the most famous fountain in Rome. The gorgeous sculptures intertwined with the water curtain, forming a beautiful visual feast. There were a few couples kissing near the wishing well. They were so immersed in each other¡¯s breathing that they did not care about what others thought. ¡°Are you going to kiss?¡± Ven Olle asked bluntly as he looked at the three couples. The question he threw out made Pei Yn blush. She looked up at Jiang Ye and asked, ¡°Do we have to kiss?¡± ¡°No, no, no.¡± He looked at the wishing well. ¡°My girlfriend and I think kissing is very romantic.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, do you like romantic?¡± ¡°Not too bad.¡± Pei Zhi treated ¡®not too bad¡¯ as ¡®like¡¯. He leaned close to her red lips. The next second, Jiang Ye held Pei Yn¡¯s cheek and gave her a romantic kiss. Zhou Yanshen, who was more or less envious, gave the side of Qian Yue¡¯s face a light kiss under everyone¡¯s urging. ... The warm touch was tempting. Qian Yue looked up at his deep eyes. Her red ears revealed her emotions and indirectly encouraged him. Before she could react, Zhou Yanshen pulled her into his arms and tasted her sweet slips without hesitation. The moment their lips connected, a numbing sensation overwhelmed the both of them, making them feel intoxicated. Everything around them seemed to have blended into the background. Even the conversation of the tourists was drowned out by their heartbeats. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Zhou Yanshen stopped at the right time. He moved away from the lips that fascinated him and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it.¡± Qian Yue suppressed the joy in her eyes. ¡°There won¡¯t be a next time,¡± she warned in a low voice and turned to look for Qu Shao to get the coins to make a wish. Zhou Yanshen smiled and followed her. When they got the coins, Ven Olle turned to face the wishing well and demonstrated, ¡°When a couple throws the coin together, their love willst forever.¡± ... ¡°How many wishes can we make?¡± ¡°Three.¡± Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and walked to an empty spot. They closed their eyes and made a wish. At the same time, they threw the coin and let it fall into the clear wishing pool. Lin Jiao looked at the pool filled with coins. ¡°I can¡¯t even find the coin I threw.¡± Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± He pinched her soft cheek. ¡°Our wish will definitelye true.¡± ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± ¡°Do you want to eat ice cream?¡± Chu Yuzhou pushed through the crowd and raised his chin to the right. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Ice cream is too cold for winter. It¡¯s better to drink milk tea.¡± They walked to a nearby bubble tea shop and strolled around Venice Square with milk teacups in their hands. They finished touring all the scenic spots worth going to before nightfall. The next morning, they dragged their suitcases to Florence. When it was noon, Ven Olle changed into a fluorescent down jacket and dazzled everyone again. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any normal clothes?¡± Qu Shao facepalmed. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this one look good?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dazzling.¡± ¡°You want one?¡± Ven Olle thought Qu Shao wasplimenting him. ¡°I can give you one.¡± Qu Shao quickly shook his head. ¡°No need.¡± He looked away. ¡°Show us the way.¡± Chapter 210 - 210 End of the Group Trip 210 End of the Group Trip The group admired the Cattedrale Santa Maria del Fior and the Uffizi Art Museum as well as the building that had many exquisite sculptures. They spent a day and a half appreciating the quaintness of Florence before heading to Venice. Venice was a city on the water with a particrly strong artistic atmosphere. Chu Yuzhou sat at the bow of the boat and sighed. No one paid attention to him. He imitated Ven Olle¡¯s tone and said to the six people on the other boat, ¡°Are you going to kiss?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± He put on an act. ¡°Are you afraid I¡¯ll be angry?¡± Zhou Yanshen, who had goosebumps from being disgusted by him, nced at him in disdain. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t get lost on the boat. I can¡¯t swim.¡± ¡°I realized that you really deserve a beating.¡± Chu Yuzhou grabbed Shen Yi¡¯s arm and leaned over. ¡°Brother Yi, your love rival wants to beat me up.¡± ¡°Can you be more shameless?¡± Shen Yi couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He scooped up a handful ofke water and sshed water on Chu Yuzhou. Chu Yuzhou, who was sshed with water on the face, spat non-stop and frowned. ¡°This water is too dirty. Do you want to poison me to death?¡± ¡°You deserve to be poisoned.¡± They bickered all the way while the others admired the scenery in peace. Be it the Rococo pce or the Moorish houses, they could see everything. In addition to the main ind, Venice has a fairy-tale rainbow ind and a ss ind that produces art. They stayed in Venice for a day and night, rented a small bus, and drove to Mn, theirst destination. ¡°Oh my God!¡± Ven Olle suddenly slowed down after racing for more than a hundred kilometers on the highway. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± To be on the safe side, he parked the car on the side and observed themotion in front. ¡°There is a robbery taking ce.¡± The word ¡°robbery¡± instantly swept away the sleepy atmosphere in the car. ¡°What the f*ck!¡± Chu Yuzhou quickly stood up in fear. ¡°How many of them are there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°I only have three thousand euros on me.¡± Qu Shao took out his wallet and started counting the money. His actions made the atmosphere even more tense. Pei Zhi calmly walked to the driver¡¯s seat and looked at the white car that was forced to stop through the windshield. He said calmly, ¡°They¡¯re not here to rob us.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°Jewelry.¡± A deafening sound was heard. The nine people surrounding the driver¡¯s seat watched as the robbers took away three boxes and left the white car. ¡°How exciting.¡± This was the first time Zhou Yanshen had seen such a big robbery in reality. Chu Yuzhou had the same thoughts as him. However, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°That jewelrypany is too stupid. They actually put thepany name on the car. It¡¯s no different from shouting ¡°I have money in the car and you can rob me¡±. ¡°Maybe the robbers have an insider giving them information?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s an insider, but the three boxes of jewelry they took must be worth a lot.¡± Pei Yn went online to check. ¡°The most expensive jewelry in thatpany is 300 million USD.¡± ¡°What about the cheapest?¡± ¡°Forty million.¡± ¡°Does something like this happen often?¡± Jiang Ye took out a lighter and looked at Ven Olle. ¡°I think so.¡± He stepped on the elerator and talked about the recent cases. With that, the topic started. Everyone chatted for the next hundred kilometers. The two-and-a-half-hour journey passed in the blink of an eye. After checking in, it was lunchtime. After enjoying a seafood banquet, they went to Mont-Napoleon Avenue to shop. ¡°I want to buy two pairs of shoes.¡± Lin Jiao stopped outside the shoe store and looked at the window. ¡°Yn, do you want a pair?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Pei Yn held Qian Yue¡¯s hand and followed her. Under the rmendation of the shop assistant, they each chose two pairs of shoes. Before they could pay, Jiang Ye swiped his card. He entered the pin number, took the shopping bags, and handed them to Qian Yue and Lin Jiao. ¡°New Year¡¯s gift.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± Chu Yuzhou ced his hand on his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Men and women are equal.¡± ¡°Shall we go and see men¡¯s wear too?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ... Jiang Ye let the men present choose a piece of clothing and swiped the card. He and Pei Zhi walked side by side, carrying more and more shopping bags in their hands as time went by. ¡°They¡¯re too good at shopping.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked at the figures that disappeared behind the door of Fendi. ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a while?¡± ¡°I have nowhere to sit.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one over there.¡± Pei Zhi found a public seat not far away and rested with them for a moment. He took out a cigarette box from his pocket and handed them a cigarette. ¡°Where did Chu Yuzhou and the others go?¡± ¡°The cafe on the right.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°The one with the green umbre at the door.¡± Jiang Ye pointed in a direction and blew out two puffs of smoke. Pei Zhi took a look before looking away. ... He leaned back in his chair and rxed. When the girls came out, they went to meet up with the others. ¡°I saw someone stealing something just now.¡± As soon as Chu Yuzhou saw them, he exaggerated what he saw. However, there were indeed many thieves nearby. Ven Olle waited for him to finish before saying, ¡°Check if your wallet is in your pocket.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still there.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put the things in the car.¡± Shen Yi thought of the robbery he saw on the way. ¡°It won¡¯t be fun if we¡¯re targeted.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at the shopping bags in everyone¡¯s hands. ¡°The logo on the bags is too obvious.¡± When we were outside, it was better to keep a low profile. On the way to the parking lot with them, Qu Shao suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Will the car be broken into if we leave the bags there?¡± ¡°The probability is very small, but it¡¯s not very unlikely.¡± ¡°Then find something to cover it with?¡± ¡°Just put it in the luggagepartment.¡± Pei Zhi asked Ven Olle to open the luggagepartment and stuff the bags in before getting into the car. As the sun set, the noisy city was enveloped in a faint glow, leaving behind thest bit of warmth for the tourists. A bus carrying ten people shuttled through the capital. The eight-day trip ended. The group of people said goodbye to Ven Olle at the airport and boarded the private jet that came to pick them up. It was alreadyte at night when they arrived at Lin City. They got in different cars parked outside the airport and drove in different directions in the heavy snow. Chapter 211 - 211 Wifey 211 Wifey In order to fulfill her promise, Lin Jiao went back to Ming Xin Mansion alone the next evening to find a new nightgown she had bought before the new year. She picked up the ck bag and walked into the convenience store outside Red Maple Forest. The reason she came to the convenience store was very simple. She wanted to buy condoms. The variety of packaging was confusing. She stood on the spot, hesitating which one to buy. The tips of her ears that were hidden under her hair gradually turned red, but she did not move for a long time. ¡°Half price for the second box.¡± The cashier smiled at her and continued to scan the code. While there were no other customers around, Lin Jiao quickly ced a box on the counter. She did not look at the cashier. After paying for it, she left and quietly put the box in her pocket. ¡°Is it cold outside?¡± Pei Zhi, who was wearing an apron, took the bag and led her in. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Watch TV for a while.¡± He kissed her forehead and turned to go into the kitchen to cook. After the door was closed, Lin Jiao took off her coat. She held the box, not knowing where to put it. After thinking for a long time, she stuffed it back into her pocket. The sizzling sounds came out of the kitchen from time to time. A fragrance wafted out from the door and filled the air. Pei Zhi came out with bowls and tes. He poured the wine into a wine ss and ced it in front of her. He picked up her favorite sweet and sour pork ribs and fed it to her before asking, ¡°What did you get when you went back?¡± ¡°Clothes.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there still a lot of clothes in the cloakroom?¡± ¡°The style is different.¡± Lin Jiao ate two mouthfuls of rice with her chopsticks. She only started drinking after filling her stomach. Perhaps to boost her courage, she even refilled her ss twice. Pei Zhi put away the wine bottle when he was clearing the dishes. He wiped the water off his hands and realized that she was frequently casting nces at the down jacket. Thinking that she wanted to hang it up, he subconsciously picked it up. Plop¡ª A box fell to the ground. Pei Zhi bent down to pick it up and chuckled. He raised an eyebrow. ¡°What do you mean, Mrs. Pei?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat and her face turned red. She did not answer. She took a step forward with the bag in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t take a shower right after dinner.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go brush my teeth.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her waist andy on the sofafortably. ¡°Wash up at nine.¡± He put the box aside and twirled a strand of hair between his fingers, his actions indescribably ambiguous. Listening to his breathing in her ear, Lin Jiao¡¯s thoughts became even more chaotic, and her face turned even redder. Pei Zhi could feel her anxiety. ¡°Jiaojiao, can we still watch the movie fromst time?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Then can you project it on the screen?¡± Lin Jiao swiped open her phone and found the movie in the cloud storage before projecting it on the screen. She leaned into Pei Zhi¡¯s arms and asked him to turn off the chandelier before enjoying the movie with him. The scene on the screen changed from the bar to the bedroom. Soft music and a touch of light created a hazy vibe. The two of them hugged each other on the sofa and their breaths intertwined. Neither of them was in the mood to continue watching the movie. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take that?¡± When he carried her to the bedroom, Lin Jiao looked back. ¡°There¡¯s one in the cab.¡± ¡°When did you buy it?¡± Pei Zhi lowered his head to look at her and smiled. ¡°Before the new year.¡± He kicked open the bedroom door and closed it heavily to iste the outside world. From the living room, the sound of a piano yed in the movie could be heard. The ovepping and harmonious ck and white keys were closely pressed together, creating a melody that belonged to this winter. The sound of the piano stopped when the snow became heavier. It seemed like the piano song had never yed, but every note left a faint warmth in the living room. Lin Jiao, who had done admiring piano music, nestled in the soft nket on the bed and frowned. She cleared her throat. ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Wifey, I¡¯m here.¡± Pei Zhi came back from the living room with a ss of warm water and sat by the bed to feed her. His eyes were filled with joy, and the smile on his thin lips was still there. His smile was like the sun that could melt the snow, but Lin Jiao was not in the mood to admire it. ¡°I think I¡¯m allergic.¡± ... ¡°Where?¡± ¡°Leg.¡± She pointed at the red skin and couldn¡¯t help but want to scratch it. ¡°I¡¯m having a rash.¡± Pei Zhi frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t scratch it.¡± He held her ankle. ¡°Is it caused by shower gel?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What else did you touch?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t touch anything else.¡± Lin Jiao thought for a second and finally pointed at the bedside table. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of this.¡± Pei Zhi frowned. ¡°Ask Qian Yue.¡± He came back to his senses and covered her with the nket. ¡°I¡¯ll go get a towel.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao made a call. She exined the situation to Qian Yue on the phone and sent her a photo. Looking at Pei Zhi, she said, ¡°Qian Yue said there¡¯s an eighty percent chance it¡¯s an allergic reaction.¡± ¡°Ask her what to apply on the skin first.¡± ... ¡°Right away.¡± She forwarded the name of the ointment Qian Yue mentioned to Pei Zhi and asked him to find it in the first aid kit. Lin Jiao: ¡°I¡¯m actually allergic to condoms. Weeping.jpg.¡± Yue: ¡°Link.¡± Yue: ¡°This one is antiallergic. Snicker.jpg.¡± Lin Jiao: ¡°Shy facepalm.jpg.¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Pei Zhi squeezed out some ointment on the cotton swab and gently applied it on her. Lin Jiao let out a long breath when the cold ointment came into contact with her skin and showed him the chat history. She picked up the cup to take a sip. ¡°Buy another one.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital tomorrow.¡± Pei Zhi was afraid that she would have an allergic reaction even if they tried another one, so he did not n to buy it for the time being. ¡°That works too.¡± ¡°Are you still feeling unwell?¡± He stroked her soft hair, his eyes filled with heartache. ¡°I¡¯m much better now.¡± Lin Jiao looked down at his neck where there was a bite mark. She called the scene just now and touched it. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Zhi lifted the nket andy down. He pressed his forehead against hers and looked at her with his long and narrow eyes. ¡°Wifey, you look good in that nightgown.¡± Hearing him call her ¡°wifey¡± in a hoarse voice, Lin Jiao went weak. Even the tips of her ears felt numb. ¡°I don¡¯t want to wear it anymore.¡± ¡°But I want to see it.¡± ¡°In your dream.¡± Lin Jiao retracted her hand from his grip, a smile shing across her eyes. Pei Zhi saw that smile. He whispered into her ear, trying to soften her heart. ¡°Wifey, can you wear it for me a few more times?¡± Chapter 212 - 212 Don’t Push Your Luck 212 Don¡¯t Push Your Luck Lin Jiao¡¯s heart indeed softened. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it next time.¡± She pulled the nket up and leaned against his neck out of habit. ¡°I want to sleep.¡± ¡°Kiss me again.¡± ¡°I kissed you a lot today.¡± ¡°Not enough.¡± After getting a kiss, Pei Zhi turned off the night light in satisfaction. ¡°Good night.¡± They fell asleep under each other¡¯s warmth and woke up leisurely under the urging of the rm clock. The snow outside the window did not stop all night. The trees on the street were covered in ayer of snow. When strong wind flew, the branches could not withstand the weight and snapped off, falling on the snow pile on the ground. There were not many cars and pedestriansing and going. The originally twenty-minute journey was shortened to ten minutes. After registering in the dermatology department and doing the allergy screening, they took the report to the doctor. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a rubber allergy.¡± After reading the report and Lin Jiao¡¯s leg, the doctor said, ¡°It¡¯s not serious. It¡¯ll go away in two days.¡± ¡°Can I use polyurethane candom?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± She said a few materials for the young couple to write down. ¡°I suggest you try again in two days.¡± Pei Zhi replied, ¡°Thank you.¡± He held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and went downstairs to get the medicine before walking to the parking lot in the snow. The doctor¡¯s words still lingered in his ears. Pei Zhi leaned against the driver¡¯s seat and tilted his head to look at the woman who was more charming than usual. She criedst night. He took pity on her and gave it to her in half an hour. Now that he thought about it, he became restless. He could finally be intimate with her, but now he had to wait for two days before doing it again. It was too torturous for him. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you driving?¡± Lin Jiao adjusted the seat and turned to face him, confusion shing across her eyes. Pei Zhi sighed. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about something.¡± He drove to the district near the city government. He told Lan Yingst night that he would go to see them. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Aboutst night.¡± Hearing that, Lin Jiao recalled what happenedst night. She avoided that scorching gaze and turned to look at the snow outside the window. ¡°Watch the road carefully.¡± ¡°Yes wifey, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Pei Zhi shook off the scenes in his mind to avoid torturing himself. He stopped at a residential building and took out a few bags of things he had bought in Italy from the back seat. He held her waist and walked up the stairs. Xue Jing opened the door. ¡°Sister, Brother-inw!¡± He was wearing a ck and white down jacket. The rabbit fur on his cor surrounded his round face, making him look extremely cute. ¡°Did Jing miss us?¡± Lin Jiao patted his head and held Pei Zhi¡¯s hand as they walked to the living room. ¡°Yes!¡± He sat on the stool obediently and grinned sincerely. ¡°I¡¯ve missed you two for a long time.¡± ¡°How long is a long time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been especially long.¡± Pei Zhi was amused by his gestures. He handed him the red packet he had prepared in advance and asked, ¡°Are you alone at home?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xue Jing put the red packet in his pocket and pped his hands. ¡°Mom is in the bathroom. The others went out to buy groceries.¡± ¡°The others?¡± ¡°Dad and Sister Shuyu.¡± Only then did Pei Zhi remember who Sister Shuyu was. He helped Xue Jing unwrap the gifts. After Lan Ying came out after washing up, they sat around the coffee table and chatted. The sound ofughter and TV filled the living room. Hearing theughter, Xue Taiyao, who was outside the door, knew that Lin Jiao and Pei Zhi had arrived. He turned the lock and entered the apartment with Xue Shuyu with a smile. The first impression Xue Shuyu gave people was that she was very quiet and reserved. She rarely saw Lin Jiao and they did not have much inmon. After chatting about their recent situation, she brought the ingredients into the kitchen. ¡°Xue Jing, turn down the volume!¡± Xue Taiyao roared from the kitchen, scaring Xue Jing into quickly taking the remote control and lowering the volume. A rich fragrance gradually wafted out from the kitchen. The dining table was filled with delicious food, making one drool just by looking at it. The family sat at the table in a delightful mood until evening. When the two of them returned to the Red Maple Forest, night fell. Lin Jiao was lying on the sofa and scrolling through her phone when she identally saw the news of Xiao Heng Robot. She looked up and asked, ¡°When is the release date of the second generation of Xiao Heng Robot?¡± ¡°In June.¡± ¡°Are you going to attend the press conference?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi poured her a ss of warm water and fed her the medicine first. ¡°Do you mind if I agree to be interviewed by the media?¡± ... ¡°Why would I mind?¡± ¡°They¡¯ll ask about my rtionship.¡± ¡°So be it.¡± Lin Jiao swallowed the pill and took two sips of water to suppress the bitterness. ¡°Everyone in thepany knows anyway.¡± After receiving an answer that was not unexpected, his heart still skipped a beat. ¡°Then I¡¯ll get Qu Shao to make an appointment with them.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± She lowered her head and continued scrolling through her phone. Pei Zhi whispered into her ear, ¡°Wifey.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want to eat peaches.¡± He put down her phone and held her waist, twirling a strand of long hair with his fingertips. ¡°The peaches don¡¯t ripen until June.¡± ¡°But I want to eat it now.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t eat fruits that are out of season.¡± Lin Jiao wrapped her arms around his neck. Before she could coax him, her lips were kissed. ... She vaguely heard a low groan. His hoarse groans made her feel like she had fallen into a wine cer and was drunk before drinking. The light from the chandelier became even dimmer. She narrowed her eyes and pushed Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder away. ¡°Don¡¯t push your luck.¡± ¡°Why is kissing my wife pushing my luck?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to kiss me anyway.¡± Her angry tone made him chuckle. Pei Zhi suppressed the sadness in his eyes and said, ¡°It¡¯s so sweet.¡± Lin Jiao ignored him, but her heart was racing. She leaned into Pei Zhi¡¯s arms and spent two days peacefully. On the morning of the third day, she fell into his trap with the arrival of a packet Pei Zhi ordered online. ¡°Honey, don¡¯t take a bath for too long.¡± A hoarse voice came from outside the door. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Do you want cherries? I¡¯ll wash them.¡± Lin Jiao repliedzily. She raised a leg and stepped out of the bathtub. She stood in front of the sink and wiped the steam off the mirror. She looked up and saw a few mottled marks on her snow-white skin, looking like red plums on the snowy mountain. She remembered the way he guided her to look at herself in the mirror as they joined together physically. She looked away to calm her racing heart and slowly put on her pajamas. ¡°Honey.¡± Pei Zhi, who was standing outside the door, came over with a bowl of cherries. ¡°I¡¯ll feed you.¡± His fingers brushed past her lips. Lin Jiao¡¯s eyshes fluttered as she bit the red fruit. She chewed twice and said in a muffled voice, ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll forgive you just because you did this.¡± Chapter 213 - 213 I’ve Had Crush on Her for Four Years 213 I¡¯ve Had Crush on Her for Four Years Pei Zhi followed her into the bed and asked pleadingly, ¡°Then how can you forgive me?¡± Lin Jiao spat out the fruit core into his palm and pointed at the bedside table. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to use it for three days.¡± ¡°Honey¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no room for discussion.¡± She realized that he was a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. ¡°How about two days?¡± Pei Zhi pressed his forehead against hers, his voice coaxing. Lin Jiao didn¡¯t budge. ¡°No.¡± She stuffed another cherry into her mouth. ¡°Not even half a day less.¡± ¡°I will lose my sleep if you are so cruel to me.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t I see you lose sleep in the past?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± Pei Zhi threw the fruit core she spat out into the trash can and said in a low voice, ¡°In the past, we never did it.¡± He thought it was very difficult to quit smoking. But now, something even harder to quit than smoking appeared. ¡°Anyway, no.¡± Lin Jiao fed him a cherry to shut his mouth. ¡°If you dare to do what you shouldn¡¯t, it¡¯ll be four days.¡± Pei Zhi thought for a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± He pretended to be unwilling, but he had already thought of a solution. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anymore.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll put it back.¡± He went out to put the te of cherries back and turned off the light in the master bedroom. ¡°Wifey, are you feeling unwell anywhere?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao set the rm and went to bed early with him to be ready for work tomorrow. After the new year, manypanies resumed work. After the long holiday, the employees of Sheng Heng walked to their desks in high spirits. The mediapany sent their best reporters and photographers to the top floor at ten o¡¯clock sharp for the exclusive interview. ¡°This way, please.¡± Qu Shao led them into the CEO¡¯s office and sat behind the cameraman to listen. He nced at the man who exuded an unapproachable and noble aura and waited quietly for his expression to soften. The reporter asked about his entrepreneurial experience and the progress of the second generation of Xiao Heng Robot. Finally, the reporter asked about his rtionship. She stared at his ring. ¡°Can you tell us about your rtionship? For example, how long have you been with her?¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s expression indeed softened. He smiled. ¡°We haven¡¯t been together for long, but we¡¯ve known each other for a long time.¡± ¡°Childhood sweetheart?¡± ¡°No.¡± Without needing the reporter to ask further, he told her how they met. The reporter was envious. She nced at the notebook and continued to ask him with a smile, ¡°So, did you like her first?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed his ring as images shed across his mind. ¡°I¡¯ve had a crush on her for four years.¡± His interview became a trending topic at noon. The moment he said that he had a crush on her for four years, the crowd on Weibo was in an uproar. The news spread like wildfire. Everyone in Lin City knew that the president of Sheng Heng was a devoted man. ¡°President Pei is really a good man.¡± ¡°Indeed. I could tell when he whispered to thedy boss in the hallst time.¡± ¡°Even rich and handsome men are so loyal. I really don¡¯t know why those losers want to be scumbags.¡± ¡°I have to send it to my boyfriend and let him learn from President Pei.¡± Everyone in Sheng Heng was discussing this. Under the envious gazes of everyone, Lin Jiao walked out of the hall and went to Sycamore Street to have lunch with Pei Yn. ¡°Jiaojiao, did you see the interview?¡± Pei Yn asked excitedly. ¡°I did.¡± ¡°Are you touched?¡± Lin Jiao nodded with a smile, especially when she heard him talk about how they met. ¡°He even remembers many details.¡± Pei Yn said in a low voice, ¡°Jiaojiao, tell me about the experience first.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing special.¡± ¡°What do you mean nothing special.¡± Lin Jiao could not describe the feeling ¡°In any case, it¡¯s not bad. Why don¡¯t you find a chance to try it with Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°I still have to wait for more than a month.¡± ¡°Did you talk to him about it?¡± ¡°Sort of.¡± Pei Yn recalled what happened on New Year¡¯s Day and a smile shed across her eyes. Lin Jiao took a bite of the food. ¡°Did he join the filming crew?¡± ¡°No.¡± She took two bites of rice. ¡°He will go to the audition at the end of the month. He¡¯s been shooting advertisements for the past two days.¡± ¡°When will the movie he yed before the new year be aired?¡± ¡°March the ninth.¡± ... ¡°It happens to be Saturday.¡± Lin Jiao turned off the screen and discussed with her about doing something to root for Jiang Ye. After lunch, she slowly walked towards Sheng Heng Hall. The employees were still discussing the interview. The trendsted until Monday the next week before it was reced by something else. Pei Zhi was going on a business trip again. He set the departure time to be in the afternoon so that he could spend more time with her during the lunch break. ¡°Wifey, I¡¯m leaving for five days.¡± ¡°You already told me three times.¡± ¡°Is there a reward after I return?¡± Lin Jiao looked up to look at him. She was suddenly struck by an idea and smiled charmingly. ¡°Of course.¡± Pei Zhi swallowed his saliva. ¡°Don¡¯t go back on your word.¡± He kissed her red lips again and again as if he was addicted. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s breath seemed to be filled with sweetness, making him want to drown in it. After the long kiss, she held his hand and ced it on her stomach. ¡°Help me rub my stomach.¡± ... He remembered that she only felt ufortable on the first day of her period in the past. ¡°Did you eat something cold without me knowing?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just too full.¡± Only then did Pei Zhi feel relieved. He found some digestive pills from the first aid kit and fed her a few before rubbing her stomach. ¡°Wifey, do you want a driver?¡± Lin Jiao was afraid of driving and felt that she would hit someone, so she did not get a driver¡¯s license. She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll just take a taxi.¡± ¡°Then remember to tell me when you get home.¡± Pei Zhi emphasized, ¡°Don¡¯t forget it.¡± The incident at the cafe gave him a lingering fear. He had to ensure her safety. ¡°Got it.¡± Lin Jiao smiled, feeling warm to know that he was concerned about her. ¡°What time are you leaving?¡± ¡°Two o¡¯clock.¡± ¡°Back on Saturday afternoon?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Pei Zhi reported in detail about his business trip, giving her a sense of security. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you a gift when the timees.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want a gift.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°You.¡± Lin Jiao teased him brazenly. ¡°I only want you.¡± Pei Zhi unbuttoned the two buttons on his neck to cool down his burning body. He lowered his eyes. ¡°Say that again?¡± Chapter 214 - 214 Implementing the Revenge Plan 214 Implementing the Revenge n Lin Jiao hooked him. ¡°We¡¯ll talk when youe back.¡± She left a kiss on his face before leaving the CEO¡¯s office under his passionate gaze. That night, she carried out her first n. In order to take revenge, she came out of the shower and put on a red velvet nightgown to video call him on WeChat. Pei Zhi, who was still dealing with work, leaned against the office chair in the hotel and held a fountain pen with two fingers. He looked up. ¡°Did you just take a shower?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao turned on the night light. After confirming that he could see everything clearly, she said in a coquettish voice, ¡°Hubby, I miss you so much.¡± With that, she kissed the camera. Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened. He closed the distance between him and the screen and rubbed his fingertips against her beautiful face. He said gently, ¡°I miss you too, wifey.¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kiss me if you missed me?¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°Like what I did just now.¡± Lin Jiao kissed the screen again. Pei Zhi put his lips on the camera of the phone. As soon as he moved away, he saw her reach out to grab his ¡°kiss¡± and press it to her heart. It was too seductive. ¡°I felt your kiss.¡± Lin Jiao pushed aside the hair. Pei Zhi¡¯s throat became even dryer. He drank half a ss of water to relieve the heat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold wearing so little?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± Lin Jiaoy down with her phone in hand and undid the strap on her shoulder. ¡°Hubby, what time do you n to sleep?¡± ¡°Before midnight.¡± ¡°Will you have insomnia if I¡¯m not around?¡± ¡°That¡¯s very likely.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze wandered over her corbone and he raised an eyebrow casually. Lin Jiao took his calmness as a provocation. She found the right angle and let go of the phone. Pretending that she was hit by the falling phone, she cried softly, ¡°Ouched.¡± Pei Zhi asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± ¡°It hurts.¡± Lin Jiao raised her phone and touched her skin with her fingertips. ¡°You know how tender my skin is. It¡¯s already red.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, look.¡± She pointed at her not-so-red skin. ¡°Hubby, do I have to apply the ointment?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need ointment. You can just use moisturizer.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go and find it.¡± He watched as she applied the moisturizer on her skin. Pei Zhi wanted to go home immediately to apply it on her. He rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Honey, I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Hearing his extremely hoarse voice, Lin Jiao felt secretly satisfied. She said good night and ended her first n. She was smiling all the way until she fell asleep. However, she did not know that Pei Zhi was driven crazy by her seduction, nor did she know what kind of ¡°revenge¡± she would receive. # At the Gu Corporation. Gu Quan, who was busy until the afternoon, was woken up after sleeping on the sofa for an hour. It was Zhang Wanlian who called. ¡°Manxi¡¯s wallet was stolen. Go and pay for her.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just transfer the money to her?¡± ¡°Her phone is dead.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too much of a coincidence.¡± He sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me she went shopping alone.¡± ¡°Why would I lie to you?¡± Zhang Wanlian showed no signs of anger and said softly, ¡°No matter what, she¡¯s still your sister.¡± Gu Quan took a deep breath. ¡°Send me the location.¡± He arrived at the mall twenty minutester and found Tang Manxi in a luxury shop. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± Her lonely expression disappeared when she saw him, and her smile became sweet. She did not have any friends in Lin City. She dide alone and her wallet was indeed stolen. However, Gu Quan was not in the mood to listen to her exnation. He bought the bag she liked and asked impatiently, ¡°Do you still want to shop?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tang Manxi picked up the shopping bag and held her stomach with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m very hungry. Can you take me to eat?¡± She lowered her head, as if she was afraid that he would turn around and leave her at the mall. Gu Quan rented a charger for her. ¡°I still have to go back to thepany.¡± As he spoke, he walked towards the esctor without looking at her. His cold attitude made Tang Manxi indignant. She immediately said, ¡°Brother Quan, I told Auntie Wanlian to not force you. Can you not treat me like this?¡± ... ¡°You can¡¯t force me either.¡± ¡°Then why are you still alienating me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very busy.¡± Gu Quan left the esctor and was about to walk out when a familiar face entered his line of sight. He stopped in his tracks and Tang Manxi followed his gaze, her eyes shing with interest. She eximed, ¡°Brother Quan, isn¡¯t this your girlfriend? Why is she with someone¡­¡± Su Tian and He Qi looked up at the same time. She retracted her hand from his arms. Her back was covered in cold sweat, and her thoughts were running wild, but she did not show it on her face. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± He Qi suppressed the emotions in his eyes and greeted him with a smile, ¡°What a coincidence.¡± He had not seen Gu Quan for a long time and did not know what he was up to. Their friendship was also more distant than before. Gu Quan looked into his eyes and for some reason, he felt an indescribably strange feeling. The image of Su Tian holding his arm appeared in his mind again. He couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°Why are you two together?¡± ... ¡°He Qi asked me to help him choose a gift for his girlfriend.¡± Su Tian thought of a lie instantly She went forward and held his arm, pointing at the shoes at her feet. ¡°These shoes are too difficult to wear. I¡¯ve sprained my ankle a few times.¡± Hearing that, Gu Quan was less suspicious, but he still felt strange. He nced at the shopping bag in He Qi¡¯s hand. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you buy a new pair of shoes then?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t had time yet.¡± ¡°Brother Quan, this is?¡± In order not to make him suspicious again, He Qi stared at Tang Manxi and changed the topic. Tang Manxi said, ¡°I¡¯m his sister.¡± She looked at He Qi and Su Tian. ¡°So you know each other.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He Qi remained calm in front of them. ¡°Since we bumped into each other, let¡¯s have a meal together, should we?¡± Gu Quan did not refuse. They went to the Chinese restaurant behind the mall and sat around the round table in the private room. ¡°When did you get a girlfriend?¡± Gu Quan took the cigarette from him and slowly lit it. ¡°More than a month ago.¡± ¡°Did your family introduce you?¡± ¡°No.¡± He Qi made up a story and told him. He nced at Su Tian from the corner of his eyes. Gu Quan did not notice it because he was smoking, but Tang Manxi caught it once. Based on a woman¡¯s intuition, she felt that there was something fishy going on between the two of them, but there was no evidence and she couldn¡¯t test them openly. Gu Quan said, ¡°Next time we gather, bring your girlfriend along.¡± Chapter 215 - 215 Unwilling to Stand in the Shadow 215 Unwilling to Stand in the Shadow He Qi said without hesitation, ¡°Sure.¡± He picked up the lighter. ¡°But she¡¯s shy. I have to coax her.¡± The doting look on his face was inappropriate. Su Tian was nervous as she listened, afraid that He Qi would spill the beans.. She tried her best to maintain a calm smile and asked He Qi, ¡°Do you have any ns to marry her?¡± !! ¡°Yes.¡± He Qi was unwilling to stand in the shadow and watch her marry someone else. He crossed his legs. ¡°Brother Quan, how about you be my best man?¡± Gu Quan suppressed the ufortable feeling in his heart and said calmly, ¡°If I have time.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He Qi was afraid that Su Tian would be angry with him if he continued, so he changed the topic. ¡°How¡¯s Song Zhen doing recently?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t contact each other?¡± ¡°No. He said that he has been busy investing and spending time with his girlfriend recently. I heard that he¡¯s getting engaged to the daughter of the Yuan family?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not decided yet.¡± ¡°Are they really going to marry?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Gu Quan chatted with him casually, not as close as before. When the waiter pushed the dining cart in, He Qi looked at the silent Tang Manxi. ¡°Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡± ¡°I just moved to Lin City.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± He Qi secretly observed her and saw that her focus was always on Gu Quan. He smiled and asked, ¡°How do you know each other?¡± Tang Manxi did not forget to emphasize how close they were when they were young. She picked up some food for Gu Quan. ¡°Brother Quan, how much is the bag you bought for me just now?¡± ¡°ABout a hundred thousand.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll transfer the money to you when I get home.¡± Gu Quan nced at her. ¡°No need.¡± He lost no appetite halfway through the meal. ¡°I still have something to deal with. I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Su Tian and Tang Manxi chased after him one after another. The former was so flustered that she held his hand. ¡°Quan, are you in a bad mood today?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Gu Quan emphasized that he had something to do. He pulled out of her hand and looked at his watch. ¡°Tian Tian, I can¡¯t send you home.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Su Tian watched him get into the car and smiled gently. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡± Tang Manxi, who did not have time to talk to him, was furious when she saw the car drive away. She rolled her eyes. ¡°Pretentious.¡± Su Tian, who had been bumped into by Tang Manxi in the shoulder, stared at her ruthlessly. ¡°Miss Tang.¡± Instead of being angry, she smiled. ¡°Quan told me that he will never marry you in his life.¡± ¡°If he doesn¡¯t marry me, do you think he¡¯ll marry you?¡± ¡°I think you forgot something. We¡¯re in a romantic rtionship. It¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯ll get married.¡± Tang Manxi, who had mmed the door of the taxi, nced behind her and smiled provocatively. ¡°Then let¡¯s wait and see.¡± A short confrontation ended. Su Tian, who did not realize that Tang Manxi had hired a private detective to investigate her, turned around and left. # The cloudy day was gloomy. The snowkes wrapped in the wind rushed into the building in Red Maple Forest, trying to follow the residents into the cramped elevator. A bone-chilling wind blew at Lin Jiao. The tip of Lin Jiao¡¯s nose was red. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator, she walked to the apartment in two or three steps. She carried the peaches she bought from the supermarket to the kitchen to wash them. When the clock pointed to ten, she was ready to carry out the second n. ¡°Hubby.¡± The moment the video call went through, a soft voice entered Pei Zhi¡¯s ears. Lin Jiao was wearing a dark green slip dress and lying on the bed with her chin in her hands. ¡°Are you done with work?¡± Pei Zhi closed the folder. ¡°Yes.¡± He stared at the eye-catching fair skin without changing his expression. ¡°Has it stopped snowing in Lin City?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Then turn up the heater in the room.¡± Lin Jiao replied with a smile, ¡°I bought a fruit today. Guess what it is?¡± ¡°Cherry?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± Pei Zhi named the fruits she liked but he didn¡¯t get it right. He said gently, ¡°Honey, you can reveal the answer now.¡± ¡°Peach.¡± She raised her voice and picked up the peach from the bedside table. ¡°It looks delicious. Unfortunately, you can¡¯t taste it.¡± She was seducing him again. Pei Zhiasked, ¡°How delicious is it?¡± He watched as she bit the peach and lit a cigarette. ... Lin Jiao described the texture as fresh and juicy. She slowly swallowed the peach and shook her fair feet. ¡°But it¡¯s definitely not as sweet asst time for you.¡± ¡°Was it sweetst time? I forgot.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you recall.¡± Pei Zhi, who was dragged into her memories, looked at her with a dark gaze. After Lin Jiao finished the peace, he said out of concern. ¡°Honey, you¡¯ll feel ufortable lying on your stomach like this.¡± Lin Jiao turned over. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± She inadvertently leaned closer to the camera and pursed her sparkling lips. ¡°I smell like peaches.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t smell it. Is that what you want to say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Zhi saw through her trick. ... Lin Jiao stopped fooling around and threw him a kiss. The second n ended in sess. ¡°Hubby, are you outside?¡± It was dark on his side. Pei Zhi put on his earphones. ¡°I¡¯m in the car.¡± He turned on the lights around him, making his face look gentle. ¡°Are you going on a date with someone?¡± ¡°With you.¡± Lin Jiao was tantalized by his angry voice. She looked into his eyes through the screen and said in a coquettish voice, ¡°Are you dating me in your dream?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t?¡± ¡°Of course you can.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Pei Zhi nced at the buildings shing past the window and smiled meaningfully. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°How much?¡± ¡°So much that I can¡¯t sleep at night.¡± Lin Jiao turned the camera to point at her leg and pointed at a piece of skin. ¡°I was bitten by a mosquito just now.¡± Pei Zhi pretended not to see the nightgown she deliberately revealed. ¡°The ointment is in the second cab under the television.¡± ¡°The ointment doesn¡¯t smell good. I don¡¯t want to use it.¡± ¡°Then what are you going to do?¡± ¡°It should be fine after rubbing it.¡± Lin Jiao touched the non-existent mosquito bite. She observed Pei Zhi¡¯s reaction carefully. When she saw that he had reached out to grab his cor, she turned the camera around. ¡°Hubby, if only you were here.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°There are still two days left.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not warm in bed when you¡¯re not around, and no one is hugging me to sleep.¡± Pei Zhi rested his chin on his hand. ¡°Do you want me to hug you to sleep tonight?¡± Chapter 216 - 216 Swearing Not to Provoke Him Again 216 Swearing Not to Provoke Him Again ¡°Do you want to video call me for the entire night?¡± Lin Jiao rolled over andy on her stomach. She yed with her hair, her smiling eyes looking like a seductive nymph at this moment. Pei Zhi swallowed. ¡°No video call.¡± ¡°Then how?¡± !! ¡°I¡¯ll show you howter.¡± He walked to the elevator in two or three steps and hung up on the excuse that there was no signal. The number in the elevator stopped at neen. When footsteps sounded in the quiet corridor, a few sensor lights were lit to dispel the darkness. He changed into slippers at the entrance and followed the weak light to the master bedroom. He gently pushed open the door. Lin Jiao, who was still lying on the bed and scrolling through her phone, did not notice that there was someone behind her. He held her ankle. ¡°Wifey.¡± Lin Jiao screamed in fear, turned around, and saw someone who shouldn¡¯t be here at this moment. She was stunned. ¡°Why are you back?¡± ¡°My heart aches when I heard that my wife was bitten by a mosquito.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed her skin and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°So I came back to cure you.¡± There were only two words in Lin Jiao¡¯s mind. ¡°I¡¯m finished.¡± She looked at the dome light as the man crawled on top of her. ¡°You haven¡¯t showered yet.¡± ¡°I have.¡± With that, the night light in the master bedroom was turned off. Pei Zhi hugged the crying kitten and kissed her forehead in satisfaction. ¡°Good night, wifey.¡± Hearing his devilish voice, Lin Jiao closed her eyes in regret and swore not to seduce him again. # On Saturday, there was a gathering. Zhou Yanshen treated them to a meal before heading to Bo Yu Club not far away. He nned to confess tonight in the open-air garden outside the third floor. Everything was prepared. At eight o¡¯clock sharp, he left the private room. In less than fifteen minutes, a waiter who had received the script ran over and said to Chu Yuzhou, ¡°Your friend is being beaten up.¡± ¡°WHere?¡± ¡°In the open-air garden.¡± To make his acting more convincing, Chu Yuzhou threw away the dice and stood up, cursing as he ran out. Her exaggerated acting made Jiang Ye want tough. He lowered his lips and followed out with a cold expression, leaving the three women behind. Qian Yue was the one who was really anxious. She rushed to the garden in her high heels without even putting on her coat. In the end, she saw a scene that was different from what she had expected. The corridor was filled with white petals. At the end of the corridor was a heart shape made of white balloons. He stood there with a bouquet of champagne roses in his hand and looked at her attentively. ¡°Qian Yue.¡± Zhou Yanshen called her gently and said the same thing asst time. ¡°Can you be my girlfriend?¡± As soon as he finished speaking, several balloons in the shape of a heart rose into the night sky behind him. The beautiful scene was unforgettable. Qian Yue, who was enveloped in the warm light, walked up to him with a smile. ¡°Do you like me?¡± ¡°I do.¡± ¡°Will you always like me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Yanshen did not hesitate. He opened a brocade box and took out two gold rings. ¡°Are you willing to wear a couple rings with me?¡± Qian Yue reached out her left hand. ¡°Yes.¡± Something cold to the touch came into contact with her fingertip in the next second. She listened to the rapid heartbeat of her heart and nervously picked up the other one and put it on his finger. Zhou Yanshen smiled and pulled her into his arms. He stared at those lips that he was yearning for and leaned over to touch them lightly before gradually advancing. Everyone stood in the cold wind and watched as they kissed. Only when the balloons disappeared did they return to the private room. The three of them picked up the dice cup and yed games with each other as they drank. The shaking dice andughter collided and only stopped at one in the morning. Chu Yuzhou, who was so drunk that he could not open his eyes, sent them to the staircase, nning to go back upstairs to sleep. He dragged his tired body up the stairs. Before he could take two steps, his stomach churned, making him squat down in pain. ¡°Boss?¡± The sound of footsteps stopped beside him. ... Tang Ni, who happened to pass by, bent down to observe his expression and said worriedly, ¡°Don¡¯t sleep here. You¡¯ll catch a cold.¡± Chu Yuzhou narrowed his eyes at her. His direct gaze made her blush, but she couldn¡¯t stop him from looking at her. ¡°Help me upstairs.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Tang Ni raised his arm and ced it on her shoulder. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Upstairs.¡± ¡°Which room?¡± ¡°Upstairs.¡± Chu Yuzhou was so drunk that he could not even hear her question clearly. He leaned close to the top of her head. ¡°I¡¯m so tired.¡± Tang Ni was enveloped by his smell. Her heart was beating wildly, and even the tips of her ears were red. She called the supervisor to confirm the location of his office before helping him up. ¡°Boss, raise your foot.¡± He was really too heavy. ... If not for the fact that she had done a lot of heavy work in the Tang family, she probably would not have been able to help him up. Chu Yuzhou took two steps forward. ¡°Open the door.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not there yet.¡± ¡°Did you take me on a detour?¡± ¡°No.¡± Tang Ni walked along the corridor and pushed open the door of the office that was not locked. ¡°We¡¯re here now.¡± The supervisor ran over. ¡°Boss?¡± He nced at Chu Yuzhou and said to Tang Ni, ¡°The lounge is behind the bookshelf. Keep an eye on him. I¡¯ll bring the hangover soup overter.¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you help him in?¡± Tang Ni remembered that there were still a lot of things to do in the logistics department. ¡°I can¡¯t leave work for too long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The supervisor could tell that Chu Yuzhou treated her ¡®specially¡¯. He pressed the door handle. ¡°Take good care of him. I¡¯ll get someone to help you with the logistics department.¡± ¡°Then give him my sry.¡± The supervisor said, ¡°It¡¯s also within your job scope to take care of the boss, so don¡¯t feel pressured.¡± Tang Ni nodded. ¡°Thank you, Supervisor.¡± When she helped Chu Yuzhou push open the lounge and gently ced him on the bed, she was almost pulled down by him. ¡°I¡¯m thirsty.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get you some water.¡± Chu Yuzhou replied in a low voice, ¡°Add some ice.¡± Under the dim light, he watched as the figure disappeared and reappeared. ¡°Sir, can you sit up on your own?¡± ¡°My name is Chu Yuzhou, not sir.¡± Tang Ni did not use honorifics after that. She fed Chu Yuzhou two sips of warm water and asked him to lie down. ¡°Take off your down jacket before sleeping.¡± ¡°Help me.¡± ¡°¡­Well.¡± She had never helped a man take off his clothes. Even just helping him take off the coat was enough to make her embarrassed. Chu Yuzhou held her hand and said in a horse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll show you how.¡± Chapter 217 - 217 Gu Quan Caught Them in the Act 217 Gu Quan Caught Them in the Act The back of Tang Ni¡¯s hand felt like it was on fire. Led by his warm hand, she held the zipper of his down jacket and slowly pulled it down. Perhaps because she was too nervous, her hand was still trembling. ¡°Focus.¡± Chu Yuzhou patted the back of her hand and asked like a dean, ¡°Have you learned it?¡± !! ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Now, do it again yourself.¡± He let go of her hand and pulled the zipper back up. Tang Ni¡¯s face turned red from the alcohol in his breath. She pulled down the zipper and helped him take off his down jacket. ¡°Wait a moment. The supervisor is bringing the hangover soup.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not drunk.¡± Chu Yuzhou opened his palm and said to her, ¡°Give me two more bottles.¡± ¡°The wine is sold out.¡± Her voice was very soft andforting. ¡°Can you drink tomorrow?¡± ¡°How can it be sold out?¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, ask the supervisor when hees.¡± Her sincere gaze convinced Chu Yuzhou. Then, he hooked her fingertips and yed with them like a new toy. ¡°How much longer do I have to wait?¡± ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± Tang Ni heard a knock on the door and broke free from his grip. She went to get the soup with a red face. She fed Chu Yuzhou half a bowl and waited for him to fall asleep. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Go to sleep.¡± Chu Yuzhou held her hand tightly and looked at her as he drifted into a deep slumber. He said domineeringly, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about leaving.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± Tang Ni avoided his gaze, her cheeks burning hot. She leaned against the bed and fell asleep unknowingly. They held hands for the entire night. Chu Yuzhou, who was woken up by thirst in the morning, opened his eyes and saw that innocent face. His eyes zed over for a moment before he suddenly remembered how he taught her to take off his down jacketst night. ¡°You¡­¡± Chu Yuzhou stopped mid-sentence and decided to let her sleep. He retracted his hand from hers and left the lounge without waking her up. He sat on the sofa in a daze with a ss of water in his hands. Not long after he left, Tang Ni, who had lost the warmth on the back of her hand, woke up and went out in a daze. ¡°Boss.¡± She stood at the door and called out to him. She looked very timid after waking up. ¡°Are you feeling unwell?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll get going first.¡± Chu Yuzhou put down the cold cup and strode up to her. ¡°Thank you forst night.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± She tidied up her work clothes and was too embarrassed to look up. ¡°It¡¯s only right to take care of you.¡± ¡°But I touched you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Chu Yuzhou stared at the hair on the right side of her face and raised his hand to gently push it away. The moment his fingers touched her skin, he pulled back as if he had been scalded. ¡°Your hair is covering your face.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Tang Ni¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She felt like she was being roasted over a fire, her body heating up. ¡°I¡¯m going back to the dormitory. Remember to eat breakfast.¡± Chu Yuzhou watched as she ¡®escaped¡¯. He leaned against the door frame and lit a cigarette. At the thought of her feeding him soup with a red face, a smile appeared on his lips. Perhaps he had not met a girl so interesting in a long time. He actually enjoyed the feeling that quietly grew stronger in the depths of his heart and was willing to immerse himself in it. # After half a week, the private detective hired by Tang Manxi finally managed to snap a photo of the two of them having a tryst outside a Western restaurant. Not long after she received the photo, she rushed to the manager¡¯s office of the Gu Corporation, wanting to ask Gu Quan to go and catch them in the act. Gu Quan, who was about to go to a social gathering, looked at Tang Manxi with annoyance. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°I saw Su Tian just now.¡± ¡°Is that why you came?¡± ¡°Not only that.¡± Tang Manxi clicked on the photo and showed it to Gu Quan. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s normal?¡± Gu Quan was stunned. He frowned, and his hands were clenched into fists. Almost instantly, he was sure that these two people had betrayed him, but still, he chose to make a call first. Su Tian quickly picked up. ¡°Quan?¡± ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Near the television tower.¡± ¡°Who are you with?¡± Gu Quan put on his coat and gave Tang Manxi a look before walking out. ... ¡°Jiajia.¡± She did not sense that something was wrong. ¡°We shopped outside for the entire afternoon. I¡¯m exhausted.¡± ¡°Just the two of you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Gu Quan snorted. He found an excuse to hang up and asked Tang Manxi to show him the way. ¡°Brother Quan, don¡¯t be anxious.¡± She hid the gloating look in her eyes. ¡°She might have her reasons.¡± ¡°Do you believe it?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Tang Manxi hesitated. ¡°Actually, I already felt that something was wrongst time, but I didn¡¯t dare to tell you.¡± ¡°Tell me now.¡± ¡°He Qi stole nces at her behind your back a few times. Every time, it was as if he was looking at his girlfriend.¡± Gu Quan recalled the strange way He Qi looked at him thest time they met and his smile became even colder. ... He gripped the steering wheel tightly. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I saw him send Su Tian off.¡± Tang Manxi described the scene in the taxi and did not exaggerate. However, it was enough to make Gu Quan angry. He parked the car and walked to the hall of the restaurant with a dark expression. In less than a minute, he saw two familiar figures near the window. He Qi was holding Su Tian¡¯s waist and feeding her a piece of steak, looking like a pair of lovers. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± Tang Manxi tugged at the corner of his shirt andforted him gently, ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t let themugh at you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t calm down.¡± Gu Quan strode over and instantly attracted their attention. When they suddenly saw the person they did not want to see the most, they were both stunned. He Qi came back to his senses after being punched in the face. Before he could dodge, his cor was grabbed by Gu Quan, followed by a second and third punch. The tes and utensils were all scattered on the ground. The sound of the punches echoed in the dining hall. Every punch made one¡¯s hair stand on end and their hearts tremble. ¡°Gu Quan, are you crazy?!¡± He Qi, who had been punched a few times, wanted to fight back, no longer treating him as a friend. ¡°I¡¯m crazy.¡± Gu Quan dodged the punch He Qi threw at him. He kicked He Qi in the stomach. Then, he grabbed He Qi¡¯s cor and pressed him against the wall to beat him up. The loudmotion attracted the restaurant manager. After Tang Manxi exined to the manager and said that she wouldpensate, she went forward to stop Gu Quan. ¡°Brother Quan, stop hitting!¡± Her voice did not stop Gu Quan. He punched He Qi in the stomach a few more times until he was almost done venting his anger. ¡°He Qi, you are really a piece of trash.¡± He Qi spat out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Gu Quan¡¯s angry eyes and suddenly felt so satisfied that he couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°What did I do to you?¡± Chapter 218 - 218 Perhaps This Is Retribution 218 Perhaps This Is Retribution Gu Quan could not tolerate seeing himugh. He stepped on his kneecap and listened to him groaning in pain. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You still have the cheek to ask me after doing this to your brother?¡± The word ¡®brother¡¯ became jarring at this moment. He Qi clenched his fists tightly. His gazended on Su Tian, and in an instant, he made up his mind to cut all ties with Gu Quan. However, before he could speak, Su Tian beat him to it. ¡°Quan.¡± Su Tian¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. We¡¯ve never crossed that line.¡± Her tears were no longer a useful tool to gain sympathy. At least, Gu Quan was very annoyed to see her tears at this moment. He shook off the hand that was tugging at his sleeve. His expression was no longer as gentle as before. ¡°Is hugging not considered crossing the line?¡± ¡°We¡¯re putting on a show!¡± Su Tian fabricated a lie, saying that they did it to anger He Qi¡¯s girlfriend. Tang Manxi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°If he really likes his girlfriend, why would he do this to push her away?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just angry.¡± She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Tang Manxi and said to Gu Quan, ¡°Quan, I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± In order to prove it, Su Tian begged He Qi to call his ¡®girlfriend¡¯ to finish the show. She knew very well that he could find the right person in a short time, but she did not expect him to have no intention of cooperating. ¡°Tian, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He Qi did not want to maintain this unclear rtionship anymore. He wanted topete with Gu Quan over Su Tian. He stood up from the chair and kept his eyes level with Gu Quan. ¡°I¡¯ve liked her for a long time. Can you let me have her?¡± Su Tian¡¯s face turned pale. She went forward and pushed He Qi¡¯s shoulder, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°So you¡¯ve been lying to me!¡± ¡°Tian.¡± He Qi held her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you better than Gu Quan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± She pped his hand away and repeatedly emphasized that she would not betray Gu Quan. The sound of sobbing filled the air. Gu Quan, who was watching coldly from the side, was calmer than everyone had imagined. Even his remaining anger seemed to be gone. ¡°You can¡¯t have her as you wish.¡± He answered He Qi and turned around without hesitation. ¡°We broke up anyway.¡± His determined attitude made Su Tian¡¯s mind go nk. ¡°You deserve it,¡± Tang Manxi mocked mercilessly. She followed Gu Quan out of the restaurant. Before she could open the passenger door of the car, he locked it. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± She looked at him worriedly through the open car window. ¡°Where are you going? Can I keep youpany?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Gu Quan stepped on the elerator. He stopped under the narrow road shaded by the trees and looked at the branches that were bent by the snow. He lit a cigarette. At this moment, he could understand Lin Jiao¡¯s feelings when he left her. However, he did not know how desperate she was and how difficult it was for her to get over it. Perhaps¡­ This was retribution. # Su Tian waited at Lufu Bay for two days before she finally saw him returning, reeking of alcohol. She carefully reached out her hand, but before she could touch the corner of his shirt, he dodged her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving yet?¡± Gu Quan took off his coat and sat on the sofa, unbuttoning his cor. His indifferent and distant attitude made her sad. Su Tian squatted at his feet, her eyes red as if she was about to cry. ¡°Quan.¡± She grabbed the corner of his shirt tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear to He Qi that I won¡¯t see him again.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Are you still angry? I¡¯ve always treated He Qi as a friend. I never thought I would¡­¡± ¡°Su Tian.¡± Gu Quan interrupted coldly and reminded her expressionlessly, ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up.¡± He did not believe everything she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to break up with you.¡± Su Tian, who had been shaken off, grabbed him again and cried hysterically. Now, she had yet to find another person who couldpete with Xiao Song. Once she lost Gu Quan¡¯s protection, she would bepletely reduced to a ything. She was unwilling to live like that. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone, okay?¡± Gu Quan rubbed his eyebrows impatiently. He gestured for Su Tian to stop crying and looked at the oil painting opposite. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you upstairs to rest.¡± ¡°No need.¡± He was not only physically tired but also mentally. ¡°Can you finish moving your things out tomorrow?¡± ¡°You, you really want to chase me away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for us to live together after breaking up.¡± Su Tian bit her lower lip, her mouth filled with the smell of blood. She knew very well that she would not get what she wanted tonight. After weighing the pros and cons, she could only use other methods to buy time. ... ¡°Quan.¡± She lowered her attitude. ¡°The new apartment is filled with formaldehyde. Can I move out in a month?¡± Gu Quan knew about the newly renovated apartment. It was indeed not suitable to live at this moment. He frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t go home?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? My father married another woman two years ago.¡± Su Tian smiled bitterly. ¡°They don¡¯t wee me, and I can¡¯t go back.¡± Gu Quan nced at her red and swollen eyes and his heart softened. ¡°Move your things to the guest bedroom.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Tian rxed. She went upstairs to pack her clothes and moved to the guest bedroom next to his. ¡°I¡¯m done moving.¡± Gu Quan stood at the door of the master bedroom and took a look. The disgust he felt made him not want to lie on that bed. He found his pajamas from the cab and walked straight to the room opposite. Just as his palm touched the door handle, he heard her voice. ¡°Quan, that¡¯s Lin¡­¡± Su Tian swallowed her name in time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep in the master bedroom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too messy.¡± ... ¡°I can help you clean up.¡± ¡°A nanny wille tomorrow.¡± Gu Quan did not want to waste time with her, so he locked the door to block her. The furnishings of this bedroom remained the same. At that time, he thought that Lin Jiao woulde back to pack, so he left the things untouched. He came out of the shower and lifted the nket to lie on the bed with whitece. All the frustration seemed to have disappeared. A rare peace of mind made him fall asleep quickly. When his breathing became light, Su Tian, who was in the other guest bedroom, was still tossing and turning. She tried to think of countless ways to salvage the situation, but she was continuously getting distracted by the fact that Gu Quan was sleeping in the room Lin Jiao previously stayed in. She tried tofort herself that Gu Quan was only doing this because he did not have an extra bedroom. However, the more sheforted herself, the more frustrated she became. She stayed up until three in the morning before falling asleep. Chapter 219 - 218 Perhaps This Is Retribution 218 Perhaps This Is Retribution Gu Quan could not tolerate seeing himugh. He stepped on his kneecap and listened to him groaning in pain. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You still have the cheek to ask me after doing this to your brother?¡± The word ¡®brother¡¯ became jarring at this moment. He Qi clenched his fists tightly. !! His gazended on Su Tian, and in an instant, he made up his mind to cut all ties with Gu Quan. However, before he could speak, Su Tian beat him to it. ¡°Quan.¡± Su Tian¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°It¡¯s not what you think. We¡¯ve never crossed that line.¡± Her tears were no longer a useful tool to gain sympathy. At least, Gu Quan was very annoyed to see her tears at this moment. He shook off the hand that was tugging at his sleeve. His expression was no longer as gentle as before. ¡°Is hugging not considered crossing the line?¡± ¡°We¡¯re putting on a show!¡± Su Tian fabricated a lie, saying that they did it to anger He Qi¡¯s girlfriend. Tang Manxi couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. ¡°If he really likes his girlfriend, why would he do this to push her away?¡± ¡°He¡¯s just angry.¡± She couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with Tang Manxi and said to Gu Quan, ¡°Quan, I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± In order to prove it, Su Tian begged He Qi to call his ¡®girlfriend¡¯ to finish the show. She knew very well that he could find the right person in a short time, but she did not expect him to have no intention of cooperating. ¡°Tian, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He Qi did not want to maintain this unclear rtionship anymore. He wanted topete with Gu Quan over Su Tian. He stood up from the chair and kept his eyes level with Gu Quan. ¡°I¡¯ve liked her for a long time. Can you let me have her?¡± Su Tian¡¯s face turned pale. She went forward and pushed He Qi¡¯s shoulder, her eyes filled with anger. ¡°So you¡¯ve been lying to me!¡± ¡°Tian.¡± He Qi held her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you better than Gu Quan.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± She pped his hand away and repeatedly emphasized that she would not betray Gu Quan. The sound of sobbing filled the air. Gu Quan, who was watching coldly from the side, was calmer than everyone had imagined. Even his remaining anger seemed to be gone. ¡°You can¡¯t have her as you wish.¡± He answered He Qi and turned around without hesitation. ¡°We broke up anyway.¡± His determined attitude made Su Tian¡¯s mind go nk. ¡°You deserve it,¡± Tang Manxi mocked mercilessly. She followed Gu Quan out of the restaurant. Before she could open the passenger door of the car, he locked it. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± She looked at him worriedly through the open car window. ¡°Where are you going? Can I keep youpany?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Gu Quan stepped on the elerator. He stopped under the narrow road shaded by the trees and looked at the branches that were bent by the snow. He lit a cigarette. At this moment, he could understand Lin Jiao¡¯s feelings when he left her. However, he did not know how desperate she was and how difficult it was for her to get over it. Perhaps¡­ This was retribution. # Su Tian waited at Lufu Bay for two days before she finally saw him returning, reeking of alcohol. She carefully reached out her hand, but before she could touch the corner of his shirt, he dodged her. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you leaving yet?¡± Gu Quan took off his coat and sat on the sofa, unbuttoning his cor. His indifferent and distant attitude made her sad. Su Tian squatted at his feet, her eyes red as if she was about to cry. ¡°Quan.¡± She grabbed the corner of his shirt tightly. ¡°I¡¯ve made it clear to He Qi that I won¡¯t see him again.¡± ¡°It has nothing to do with me.¡± ¡°Are you still angry? I¡¯ve always treated He Qi as a friend. I never thought I would¡­¡± ¡°Su Tian.¡± Gu Quan interrupted coldly and reminded her expressionlessly, ¡°We¡¯ve already broken up.¡± He did not believe everything she said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to break up with you.¡± Su Tian, who had been shaken off, grabbed him again and cried hysterically. Now, she had yet to find another person who couldpete with Xiao Song. Once she lost Gu Quan¡¯s protection, she would bepletely reduced to a ything. She was unwilling to live like that. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone, okay?¡± Gu Quan rubbed his eyebrows impatiently. He gestured for Su Tian to stop crying and looked at the oil painting opposite. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you upstairs to rest.¡± ¡°No need.¡± He was not only physically tired but also mentally. ¡°Can you finish moving your things out tomorrow?¡± ¡°You, you really want to chase me away?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not appropriate for us to live together after breaking up.¡± Su Tian bit her lower lip, her mouth filled with the smell of blood. She knew very well that she would not get what she wanted tonight. After weighing the pros and cons, she could only use other methods to buy time. ... ¡°Quan.¡± She lowered her attitude. ¡°The new apartment is filled with formaldehyde. Can I move out in a month?¡± Gu Quan knew about the newly renovated apartment. It was indeed not suitable to live at this moment. He frowned. ¡°You can¡¯t go home?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten? My father married another woman two years ago.¡± Su Tian smiled bitterly. ¡°They don¡¯t wee me, and I can¡¯t go back.¡± Gu Quan nced at her red and swollen eyes and his heart softened. ¡°Move your things to the guest bedroom.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Su Tian rxed. She went upstairs to pack her clothes and moved to the guest bedroom next to his. ¡°I¡¯m done moving.¡± Gu Quan stood at the door of the master bedroom and took a look. The disgust he felt made him not want to lie on that bed. He found his pajamas from the cab and walked straight to the room opposite. Just as his palm touched the door handle, he heard her voice. ¡°Quan, that¡¯s Lin¡­¡± Su Tian swallowed her name in time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep in the master bedroom?¡± ¡°It¡¯s too messy.¡± ... ¡°I can help you clean up.¡± ¡°A nanny wille tomorrow.¡± Gu Quan did not want to waste time with her, so he locked the door to block her. The furnishings of this bedroom remained the same. At that time, he thought that Lin Jiao woulde back to pack, so he left the things untouched. He came out of the shower and lifted the nket to lie on the bed with whitece. All the frustration seemed to have disappeared. A rare peace of mind made him fall asleep quickly. When his breathing became light, Su Tian, who was in the other guest bedroom, was still tossing and turning. She tried to think of countless ways to salvage the situation, but she was continuously getting distracted by the fact that Gu Quan was sleeping in the room Lin Jiao previously stayed in. She tried tofort herself that Gu Quan was only doing this because he did not have an extra bedroom. However, the more sheforted herself, the more frustrated she became. She stayed up until three in the morning before falling asleep. Chapter 220 - 220 The Way She Looks At Him Says It All 220 The Way She Looks At Him Says It All Qu Shao swiped open his phone screen. ¡°It¡¯s almost seven o¡¯clock. Why aren¡¯t they here yet?¡± ¡°Ask in the group.¡± Tang Ni gradually calmed down. Fortunately, they were just as Chu Yuzhou had said. Not only were they easy to get along with, but they also looked at her without any malice or disdain. ¡°Where¡¯s the dining hall?¡± Shen Yi put on the hood of his down jacket and slowly walked out. ¡°Keep going down this road on the left.¡± ¡°How far?¡± ¡°About 700 to 800 meters.¡± Chu Yuzhou slowed down to take care of Tang Ni, afraid that she would not be used to it. The temperature on the mountain was rtively low, forcing them to speed up slightly. The environment of the resort dining hall was not as good as in the city, but the various home-cooked dishes were surprisingly delicious. The ten people sitting around a round mahogany table enjoyed different delicacies and chatted in a delightful mood. ¡°Yue, do you still want some fish?¡± Zhou Yanshen pushed aside the hair at her temple and kissed her cheek under everyone¡¯s gaze. ¡°No.¡± Qian Yue was used to it. She said coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯m already full.¡± ¡°Let me rub your stomach.¡± He fed Qian Yue two mouthfuls of water and ced his palm on her stomach. Chu Yuzhou was shocked. He could not believe that the person in front of him was Zhou Yanshen. He teased jokingly, ¡°Brother Yanshen, are you possessed by a ghost?¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too scary.¡± Zhou Yanshen nced at him. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± He did not stop rubbing Qian Yue¡¯s stomach. ¡°Unfortunately, you can¡¯t find anyone to rub.¡± ¡°Just you wait.¡± Chu Yuzhou went to get the bill from the boss and couldn¡¯t be bothered to watch him show off his love. Shen Yi smiled. He put down his chopsticks and gestured for them to put on their coats. On the way to the hot spring, the path was illuminated by the flickering stars. The hot spring that was hidden in the forest emitted steam. The lingering steam spread out, making it look like a paradise. The strong fragrance of red wine wafted over from the pool that could amodate twenty people and assaulted their noses. A group of men stepped into the pool and leaned against the wall, enjoying the moment of peace. While the girls were still changing into swimsuits, Jiang Ye looked at Chu Yuzhou through the thin fog. He asked bluntly, ¡°Do you like Tang Ni?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What kind of answer is that?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± Chu Yuzhou didn¡¯t even know how he felt. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Are you possessive of her?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Jiang Ye asked a few questions, but the answers he received were all ambiguous. ¡°Forget it. Try spending more time with her.¡± Qu Shao suddenly sighed. ¡°You all have someone you like. Only Shen Yi and I are still bachelors.¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry.¡± He brushed away the few strands of short hair on his forehead. ¡°Your fate has not arrived yet.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to the temple to pray for my fate to arrive sooner.¡± ¡°Even if you pray, you might not get it.¡± ¡°At least it¡¯ll give me some hope.¡± Qu Shao elbowed Shen Yi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Why don¡¯t we go together?¡± ¡°Not interested.¡± ¡°You might as well be a mon.¡± This made everyoneugh. While Shen Yi was bickering with Qu Shao in the pool, a few familiar figures gradually approached. They stood by the pool and took off their bathrobes, revealing rtively conservative swimsuits. They were led into the water by their men. Chu Yuzhou also went forward gentlemanly and pulled Tang Ni to his side. The heat emitted was enough to dispel the cold. The chirping of insects and birds did not sound noisy. Instead, it dispelled the silence in the forest and made people feel at peace. ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± Lin Jiao pulled his hand that was groping her away again and warned in a low voice, ¡°Mind your behavior.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I even hug my wife?¡± ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s a hug?¡± Stared by those sparkling eyes, Pei Zhi gave in. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He pecked her lips and hugged her obediently. ¡°Your swimsuit is too revealing. I can¡¯t help.¡± Lin Jiao lowered her head. ¡°How is this revealing?¡± Other than her legs and corbone, there was nothing else exposed. ¡°Here.¡± Pei Zhi hooked a shoulder strap and looked at her skin. ¡°And your legs.¡± ¡°Other people even wear bikinis.¡± ¡°Others are others.¡± He held her waist and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Did you see anyone else when you came out just now?¡± ... ¡°Yn met someone.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Jiang Ye, who was next to them, heard Lin Jiao mention Pei Yn. ¡°A passerby drooled over her.¡± ¡°What did he do?¡± ¡°Asked me for WeChat.¡± In order to prevent him from being jealous, Pei Yn said in time, ¡°I didn¡¯t give it to him.¡± She roughly repeated the conversation. Jiang Ye was relieved to hear that the person did not harass her. He tightened the straps on her shoulders and said in a gentle voice, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to the changing roomter.¡± Pei Yn nodded with a smile. ¡°Okay.¡± She hugged his waist andy on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The group soaked in the hot spring for half an hour before walking up the stone path and stopping at a unique wooden house to take a sauna. Late at night, they returned to the cabin to drink and chat. Tang Ni was not as shy as when they first met. Under Chu Yuzhou¡¯s lead, she held the dice cup and yed games with them. ... He knew that she could not hold her liquor well, so he only took a sip every time she lost. However, he did not expect her to still be drunk. ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy.¡± She looked at Chu Yuzhou with a red face and fell on him the next second. Chu Yuzhou quickly held her. Just as everyone thought that they would witness an ambiguous scene, they heard him click his tongue and say, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone with this little capacity for liquor.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry her up first.¡± He bent down and carried her on his shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll drink when I get back.¡± ¡°Slow down. Don¡¯t make her throw up.¡± ¡°How can she throw up when she¡¯s asleep?¡± Pei Yn could not be bothered to argue with him. She looked away from the staircase and finished the remaining wine in her ss. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why Tang Ni likes him.¡± ¡°Maybe she was attracted by his humor.¡± ¡°You call that humor?¡± Qu Shao suddenly smiled. ¡°He¡¯s humorous.¡± He rolled the dice. ¡°Does Tang Ni really like him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Qian Yue threw away the empty bottle. ¡°The way she looks at Chu Yuzhou says it all.¡± Chapter 221 - 221 Forget That Moment of Heart palpitation 221 Forget That Moment of Heart palpitation Chu Yuzhou, who was being discussed, was very troubled. He shook Tang Ni¡¯s shoulders and whispered into her ear, ¡°Tang Ni, take off your clothes before you sleep.¡± After he repeated it a few times, Tang Ni slowly opened her eyes. She looked at the face that was so close to her. Her round eyes were watery, making people want to take pity on her. ¡°Boss.¡± She raised the corners of her lips and smiled. Her breathnded on his skin. ¡°What a coincidence. I met you again.¡± Chu Yuzhou was dazzled by her smile. He avoided her gaze and calmed himself down. ¡°You really should practice your alcohol tolerance.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t drink.¡± ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t.¡± He didn¡¯t want to argue with a drunk person. ¡°Hurry up and take off your clothes. You¡¯ll catch a cold if you sleep like this.¡± Tang Ni subconsciously touched her cor, but there was no trace of the zipper. Only then did she move to the hem of her sweater. Thinking of what she would do next, Chu Yuzhou turned around and stared at the snow outside the window, his thoughts wandering. Tang Ni, who was only wearing a ck thermal suit, sat by the bed in a daze and stared at his back. She did not say a word for a long time. Chu Yuzhou spoke first. ¡°Are you done?¡± ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Then cover yourself with a nket and lie down.¡± Chu Yuzhou turned around after three to five minutes and looked at the person hiding under the nket. For once, he was patient. ¡°Close your eyes now.¡± ¡°And then what?¡± ¡°Count as many sheep as you can.¡± Tang Ni counted silently in her heart. When she counted to twenty-nine, sleepiness swept over her. In just a few breaths, she drifted into a slumber. After confirming that she was asleep, Chu Yuzhou went downstairs. He lit the cigarette in his mouth, held the dice cup, and yed games with them. Gradually, he forgot that moment of heart palpitation. # The weather in Lin City warmed up on Monday. After signing a contract with Sheng Heng, Gu Quan took the elevator down to the lobby and happened to see a familiar figure. He walked up in big strides. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Lin Jiao stopped in her tracks and turned around. She looked up, and the warm sunlight shone on her side profile. When her eyshes fluttered, a small light fell from her lower eyelids. ¡°What a coincidence.¡± She smiled. Gu Quan looked into her eyes and smiled. He followed her out of the hall to avoid blocking the other employees. ¡°I¡¯m here to sign the contract with Sheng Heng. What about you?¡± ¡°I work here.¡± ¡°How do you like it working here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no different from what I imagined.¡± Lin Jiao adjusted the cor of her down jacket. ¡°Did things go well in the Gu Corporation?¡± Gu Quan heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Yes.¡± He rubbed the folder in his hand. ¡°Other than feeling exhausted, everything else is fine.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± She did not miss the redness in his eyes and said calmly, ¡°Remember to take a break.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Perhaps the sun was good. Perhaps it was because it was veryfortable to stay by her side. The fatigue in Gu Quan¡¯s body seemed to have dissipated a lot. He felt the cold wind blowing and subconsciously stood to her right, blocking the cold wind for her. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Sycamore Street. Yn is waiting for me to eat together with her.¡± A few hundred meters ahead was Sycamore Street. He apanied her for a while, passing by pedestrians and finally stopping under the eye-catching blue road sign. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He lowered his head, his outline softened by the sunlight. ¡°Enjoy your time. I¡¯ll go back to thepany first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She didn¡¯t say good-bye. Under his gaze, Lin Jiao walked into the rice noodles shop. She sat opposite Pei Yn and told her the reason why she camete. Her expression did not change at all. Hearing Gu Quan¡¯s name, Pei Yn did not re up like before. ¡°Did Zhu Xing send you a WeChat message?¡± Zhu Xing was their university ssmate and had a good rtionship with them before graduation. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Do you know who she was engaged to?¡¯ Lin Jiao shook her head. ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me.¡± ... ¡°You¡¯ll never guess.¡± Pei Yn showed Lin Jiao a photo from her WeChat Moments. ¡°She actually got together with Qian Yongjun.¡± ¡°Business marriage?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s true love.¡± Lin Jiao was surprised for a moment. ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Do you want to bring Uncle along to the engagement party?¡± Pei Yn held her arm and pushed open the ss door of the shop. ¡°I have to ask. Are you going with Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± She rubbed her stomach. ¡°He was notified this morning that he¡¯ll be joining the crew on Thursday.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the genre this time?¡± ¡°Kung Fu.¡± Lin Jiao was very interested in this kind of genre. She made an appointment with Pei Yn to visit Jiang Ye at work before pressing the elevator to the top floor to tell Pei Zhi about the engagement party. ... ¡°I can¡¯t on Friday.¡± Pei Zhi tapped his cigarette with his fingertips and held the cigarette between his thin lips. ¡°I have a dinner party.¡± ¡°When will it end?¡± ¡°Maybe eight or nine?¡± When the smoke filled the air, he narrowed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up when it¡¯s over.¡± Lin Jiao leaned into his arms. ¡°Okay.¡± She fiddled with his cufflinks. ¡°They¡¯ve only been together for three months and they¡¯re getting engaged.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal. There are people who get married in three days.¡± ¡°Do you know any couple who married that quickly?¡± ¡°Two.¡± Pei Zhi stubbed out his cigarette and thest wisp of smoke seeped out of his lips. ¡°However, they married for business¡¯s sake.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t count.¡± ¡°Do you know any?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao changed the topic. ¡°Yn told me that they¡¯re going to get married this year.¡± ¡°Jiang Ye proposed?¡± ¡°Still working on it,¡± she said casually. ¡°But he had the ring ready before the New Year.¡± ¡°That was fast.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m turning twenty-five in June.¡± Her topic changed from engagement to age. Pei Zhi finally sensed that something was wrong. He raised his eyebrows. ¡°You want to celebrate your birthday?¡± ¡°A little.¡± Lin Jiao identally took off his cufflinks and hid them in her palm. ¡°Twenty-five is considered mature.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± His radar picked up the hint. Pei Zhi curled her ring finger and took the cufflink. He leaned over and muttered, ¡°I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡± A warm kissnded on her forehead. Lin Jiao met his burning gaze and smiled. She pecked at those lips. ¡°This is your reward.¡± Chapter 222 - 222 He Repented 222 He Repented Nan Yu Hotel was holding an engagement banquet. The invited guests arrived at the banquet hall one after another in the evening. They found their seating signs at the door. ¡°Yn.¡± Lin Jiao nced at the seating sign and reminded Pei Yn, who was sending a WeChat message, ¡°Qu Wenhao is at the same table as us.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Qu Wenhao.¡± Pei Yn tried to search her memory, but time had erased most of it. ¡°I don¡¯t remember what he looked like.¡± ¡°He suits your taste anyway.¡± ¡°Is he as handsome as Jiang Ye?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Lin Jiao could remember the name because she had helped him write a letter. ¡°The arrangement of the seats is really interesting.¡± Pei Yn stopped dwelling on the past. ¡°Gu Quan and the others are also at table nine.¡± Lin Jiao replied calmly, ¡°I expected that.¡± She walked into the hall with Pei Yn and found table nine. The waiters pushing the food carts served the dishes one after another. At seven o¡¯clock sharp, delicious food was ced on the round table. Gu Quan and Song Zhen, who came together, exchanged a few pleasantries with some of their old ssmates and sat in the two empty seats to Lin Jiao¡¯s right. He Qi, who came a step slower than them, looked at the familiar faces and sat on the other end decisively without saying a word to them. Qu Wenhao, who was next to him, broke the silence and chatted with Pei Yn. ¡°Yn, where do you work now?¡± He was dressed in a suit and leather shoes, looking handsome and mature. Pei Yn looked at him. ¡°Sheng Heng.¡± ¡°Is the ie decent?¡± ¡°Just barely enough to live on.¡± She pushed aside the rose petals encircling the porcin te. ¡°How are you?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Qu Wenhao smiled humbly. He stared at that face that was even more beautiful than he remembered. He was about to ask her if she was in love when he was interrupted by a voice on the stage. Zhu Xing and Qian Yongjun went on stage hand in hand. They talked about how they met and fell in love before kissing in public with red eyes. The sweet atmosphere spread to every corner. A round of apuse stopped, and a melodious and romantic tune apanied the guests as they began to eat. The old friends who had not seen each other for a long time chatted non-stop. The liveliness continued to the resting area. Groups of two to three men and women gathered and drank. Lin Jiao and Pei Yn found the surroundings too noisy and moved to the open-air garden to admire the stars and moon. The light and shadownded on the ck sofa like a thin veil, wrapping them in soft and blurry shadows. ¡°Sister Jiao, Yn.¡± A figure walked behind the sofa, temporarily covering the bright moonlight. Song Zhen took out the invitations he had prepared and handed them to them one by one. He smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m getting engaged next month.¡± ¡°With whom?¡± ¡°The daughter of the Yuan family.¡± Pei Yn had heard about the daughter of the Yuan family. Her expression was indescribable. She opened the simple invitation and looked at the date. ¡°What day is the 20th?¡± ¡°Saturday.¡± Song Zhen drank half a ss of wine and sat opposite Qu Wenhao and Gu Quan. ¡°Come, let¡¯s y a round of dice.¡± The dice cup on the table then clinked. After the three rounds of games ended, a few old ssmates who had gone to the garden to take a breather joined them, making the two sofas even more crowded. Gu Quan retracted his hand. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He raised his chin at the table and chairs on the right. ¡°Shall we talk?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao picked up the champagne ss. She leaned against the back of the chair with balloons hanging on it, listening to them being blown by the wind, and waited for him to speak. Gu Quan took out his cigarette box. ¡°I bumped into He Qi and Su Tian outside some time ago. Do you know what they were doing?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°He Qi has his arm around her waist.¡± He lit the cigarette between his lips. ¡°Feeding her steak.¡± Lin Jiao did not expect things to turn out like this. She rubbed the cup with her fingers, removing the fog that had gathered on it. ¡°They admitted it?¡± ¡°Sort of?¡± Gu Quan blew out a mouthful of smoke. ¡°He Qi told me that he likes Su Tian and asked me to give her to him.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I broke up with her.¡± Lin Jiao looked at him with mixed feelings. ¡°I remember that you¡¯ve known He Qi for more than ten years?¡± ¡°Thirteen years to be precise.¡± He met her gaze through the diffuse smoke. ¡°I never thought he¡¯d do this.¡± Compared to Su Tian¡¯s betrayal, He Qi, who had been with him for many years and gone through thick and thin together, had dealt him a greater blow. A long silence spread between them. Lin Jiao took two sips of champagne and suddenly sighed. That sigh was not filled with pity or mockery, nor did it escape Gu Quan¡¯s ears. ¡°Jiaojiao, I¡¯m sorry.¡± He looked up, his voice hoarse from the wind. ¡°I¡¯ve told you I¡¯m sorry many times in the past, but those apologies were not sincere enough.¡± ... Now, he repented, and he received his retribution. Chapter 223 - 223 Pitiful As Always 223 Pitiful As Always Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Gu Quan, the past is in the past.¡± Her voice was very soft, like the night breeze blowing around, enough to calm one¡¯s heart. Gu Quan stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°Yes.¡± The gloom that had umted in his heart dissipated with the smoke. ¡°Thank you for chatting with me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Lin Jiao yed with the balloon string and saw He Qi from the corner of her eye. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± !! ¡°Ignore him.¡± ¡°Brother Quan.¡± As soon as Gu Quan finished speaking, someone said, ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± ¡°Does it have anything to do with you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so aggressive.¡± He Qi had no intention of avoiding Lin Jiao. He smiled and asked, ¡°Do you want to know about me and Tian?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve slept together many times.¡± He observed Gu Quan¡¯s reaction. ¡°The first time it was at my house,¡± His gloating face made Jiaojiao extremely disgusted. She sneered, ¡°Being secret lovers with her must be very painful, right? You¡¯re still as pitiful as ever.¡± He Qi looked at Lin Jiao hatefully. ¡°No matter how pitiful I am, I¡¯m not as cheap as you, understand? You ything.¡± Bang¡ª Gu Quan kicked his chair. Just as he grabbed He Qi¡¯s cor and was about to teach him a lesson, Lin Jiao pped He Qi. ¡°You¡¯re disgusting.¡± He Qi blew the hair on his forehead away, not caring about the burning pain. ¡°You¡¯ll forever be a ything.¡± ¡°Watch your mouth!¡± Gu Quan punched him in the face. He was angrier than when he found out that He Qi and Su Tian had slept together. The moment they fought, Pei Yn rushed over with the dice cup and smashed He Qi¡¯s back. She scolded as she smashed, ¡°Idiot!¡± The scene was chaotic. The tables and chairs that had fallen to the ground were kicked far away. All kinds of sounds mixed together, making it extremely noisy. Qu Wenhao and the two other men who came up to stop the fight were identally punched a few times in order to separate them. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± He stood between them. ¡°It¡¯s Qian Yongjun and his wife¡¯s engagement banquet after all. Show some respect and stop fooling around.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± He Qi sneered. He looked at the man standing opposite him and said meaningfully, ¡°Brother Quan, her voice sounds especially nice when she¡¯s under me.¡± Song Zhen frowned. He retracted his gaze and held Gu Quan¡¯s shoulder. In order tofort him, he did not mention Su Tian at all. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± He handed him a cigarette. ¡°You¡¯re bleeding from the corner of your mouth. Shall I go with you to get some medicine?¡± Only then did Gu Quan feel the pain at the corner of his mouth. He patted the dust on his shoulders and pants and turned to look at Lin Jiao on his left. ¡°Jiaojiao, are you injured?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How are you going to go back? Do you want me to send you back?¡± Lin Jiao refused bluntly. ¡°No need.¡± She put down the champagne ss and pulled Pei Yn to sit down. ¡°Go to the hospital first.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Quan and Song Zhen left together. Not long after they left, Pei Yn, who was still angry, asked, ¡°What did that idiot He Qi say?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we get back.¡± ¡°Ask Uncle where he is.¡± She couldn¡¯t wait to hear the gossip. Lin Jiao opened her unread WeChat message. Before she could reply, a call came in. ¡°Honey.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s unique gentle voice came from the other end of the line. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to me?¡± Chapter 224 - 224 The Happiness in Bed Doesn’t Last Forever 224 The Happiness in Bed Doesn¡¯t Last Forever ¡°I¡¯m watching a fight.¡± Lin Jiao picked up her bag and walked out with Pei Yn. ¡°You¡¯re in Nan Yu?¡± ¡°In five more minutes.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll go downstairs.¡± Pei Zhi picked them up at the entrance of Nan Yu hotel. !! In order to avoid being too crowded, he let Pei Yn sit in the front passenger seat and opened the door to the back seat. ¡°Honey, how much did you drink tonight?¡± He leaned close to her neck, and the faint fragrance of cypress overwhelmed Lin Jiao. ¡°Five or six sses of champagne.¡± ¡°Jiaojiao, tell me quickly.¡± Pei Yn, who was waiting to hear the gossip, turned around. ¡°Why did Gu Quan and the others fall out?¡± ¡°Su Tian and He Qi got together.¡± ¡°Oh my god!¡± Qu Shao and Pei Yn said in unison. The former slowed down the car. ¡°How did he find out?¡± ¡°He bumped into them at the restaurant.¡± Lin Jiao repeated the conversation with Gu Quan and mentioned He Qi¡¯s provocation. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to interfere, but he was so disgusting, I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡± Pei Yn crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°He Qi and Su Tian are really a nasty couple. I regret not hitting him a few more times.¡± ¡°You guys even fought with him?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao pped him. I hit him a few times with the dice cup, then Gu Quan hit him again.¡± Pei Zhi looked at her sideways. ¡°Did he scold you?¡± ¡°I scolded him a little.¡± Lin Jiao leaned into Pei Zhi¡¯s arms and smiled. ¡°Anyway, I taught him a lesson.¡± ¡°One p isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll p him twice next time?¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± He leaned against the top of her head, his narrow eyes dark as an abyss in the dim light. Qu Shao, who was looking at him through the rearview mirror, had goosebumps because of Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze. He thought to himself that some people were going to be unlucky. He sent Pei Yn to Ming Xin Mansion before driving to the Red Maple Forest. He hinted, ¡°Boss, are you going to deal with them tonight?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and said goodbye to Qu Shao before disappearing into the elevator. When they got home, they took off their down jackets and sat on the sofa in the living room, drinking a cup of freshly brewed ck tea. The steam from the cup rose and brushed past Lin Jiao¡¯s eyshes, enveloping her pure and lustful fox eyes. ¡°Hubby.¡± She licked the water from her lips and looked up to meet his gaze. ¡°Why are there so many people who are unfaithful to their rtionships?¡± ¡°Because they are fickles, and there are many people throwing themselves at them, it¡¯s very easy for them to not be able to resist the temptation.¡± ¡°But are they really happy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a moment of happiness.¡± Pei Zhi stroked her long hair. ¡°The time in bed can¡¯tst forever.¡± Lin Jiao thought of the old Zhou Yanshen. Although he was not disloyal or betrayed people, he always lived a thrill-seeking life. She put down the cup and leaned into his arms. Her fair fingertipsnded on his cor. ¡°It¡¯s rare to see someone as loyal as you.¡± Pei Zhi lowered his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not loyal.¡± His serious expression stunned Lin Jiao. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder if she had heard wrongly. She flexed her knuckles. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I like every aspect of you.¡± Pei Zhi kissed her lips. ¡°Especially when you wear a nightgown and seduce me.¡± His hot breath brushed against her skin, and Lin Jiao was immersed in his eyes. She bit his Adam¡¯s apple and red at him as intimidatingly as before. ¡°Don¡¯t tease me with such things.¡± Pei Zhi agreed gently. ¡°Honey.¡± He would not let go of any chance to act pitiful. ¡°It hurts.¡± ¡°There are no teeth marks. Why does it hurt?¡± ¡°It really hurts.¡± Lin Jiao kissed his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± When her soft lips approached, it was as if there was a fine electric current drilling into his skin. ¡°Are you seducing me again?¡± ¡°Why is that seducing you?¡± ¡°You are seducing me.¡± Ever since they officially started dating, her being within five meters of him was a temptation to him. Seeing that his eyes gradually darkened, Lin Jiao¡¯s face turned hot. She could vaguely guess what was going to happen next. She hesitated for two seconds before climbing onto his neck. ¡°I¡¯m hungry now. Can you cook a bowl of noodles for me?¡± Pei Zhi smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± His fingers caressed her earlobe. ¡°Take a shower first. You can eat when you¡¯re done.¡± The words that were emphasized made one¡¯s imagination run wild. With a red face, Lin Jiao broke free from the restraint around her waist and walked towards the master bedroom without saying a word. She took forty minutes to shower and remove her makeup. In the end, she only wore a wine-red silk bathrobe and appeared in front of him. ¡°Hubby, aren¡¯t you eating?¡± She sat cross-legged on the carpet. Her fair legs were especially eye-catching under the warm light. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry for the time being.¡± Pei Zhi took two sips of water to ease the dryness in his throat. ¡°Eat slowly. I¡¯ll wash the bowls.¡± ... Lin Jiao nodded without replying. She rolled up a mouthful of noodles and focused her attention on the LCD screen. The sound of water in the bathroom had stopped. Pei Zhi, who hade out of the master bedroom, picked up the empty bowl and held her hand. ¡°Honey, will you apany me to the kitchen?¡± ¡°You want me to watch you wash?¡± ¡°Can you?¡± Of course, Lin Jiao would not refuse. She nced at the advertisement on the TV. She thought that she would be able to watch the next episode when she came out, but it took an hour before she coulde out. ¡°Hubby.¡± She snuggled in his arms, no longer in the mood to watch the TV. ¡°I want some juice.¡± Pei Zhi tightened his grip on her waist. He first carried her into the bedroom, then returned to the living room to pour a ss of fruit juice and fed it to her lips. ¡°Does the grape juice taste good?¡± ... ¡°It¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Let me try it.¡± Without giving her a chance to react, he leaned over and covered her red lips. Suddenly, Lin Jiao was pulled into his gentle trap again. She had nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. Buzz¡ªBuzz¡ª The phone on the bedside table rang at noon. Lin Jiao patted him with sleepy eyes. ¡°Hubby, who is calling?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Pei Zhi picked up his phone and looked at the unknown number on the screen. ¡°Do you want to answer it?¡± ¡°Give it to me.¡± Lin Jiao cleared her throat. The moment she pressed the answer button, a familiar yet unfamiliar female voice sounded from the receiver. ¡°Miss Lin, are you free to talk?¡± ¡°And you are?¡± ¡°Su Tian.¡± Su Tian had heard about the engagement party from He Qi and had not slept for almost the entire night. She had a feeling that if Lin Jiao appeared in front of Gu Quan again, the chances of them reconciling would be even lower. Therefore, when it was noon, she borrowed the nanny¡¯s phone to call Lin Jiao. She really couldn¡¯t wait. ¡°Why?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s attitude changed the moment Su Tian introduced herself. ¡°Do you want He Qi to push me again?¡± Chapter 225 - 225 Gu Quan Received Anonymous Email 225 Gu Quan Received Anonymous Email Su Tian felt guilty. ¡°It was an identst time.¡± She apologized for He Qi and shirked responsibility. ¡°Didn¡¯t hepensate you?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no point in saying that now.¡± Lin Jiao had expected her to pretend to be innocent and couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with her. ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡± ¡°Has Quan talked to you?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t find him?¡± !! ¡°No.¡± Su Tian was unwilling to admit it. ¡°We live together. How can we not find each other?¡± ¡°He told mest night that you broke up.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s tone was mocking. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend in front of me.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t break up!¡± She raised her voice. ¡°Lin Jiao, don¡¯t try to snatch him away from me!¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy! No matter what you do, Quan won¡¯t like you again. He only loves me! He only loves me!¡± Her sharp roar was more hair-raising than the sound of chalk scratching the ckboard. Lin Jiao¡¯s ears hurt from the noise. She pulled away Pei Zhi¡¯s hand that was about to snatch her phone and turned on the loudspeaker. She smiled and teased, ¡°Does he love you for cheating on him?¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking nonsense!¡± ¡°He Qi personally admitted that you slept with him.¡± Su Tian¡¯s mind went nk. She didn¡¯t believe that He Qi would break his promise and push her into a hopeless situation again. ¡°Lin Jiao, when can you stop lying? He Qi and I are innocent. There¡¯s nothing between us!¡± ¡°Your innocence has nothing to do with me. Instead of harassing me, you might as well find time to exin it to Gu Quan.¡± ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m harassing you? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been haunting us and ruining our rtionship!¡± Lin Jiao suddenly smiled. ¡°Su Tian, I think you need to consult with a psychiatrist.¡± Su Tian took a deep breath to calm herself down. ¡°Lin Jiao, I don¡¯t want to argue with you. Please don¡¯t contact Quan anymore. Don¡¯t cause us any more trouble.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s causing trouble for whom? I¡¯ve broken up with Gu Quan for more than half a year, and you¡¯re still after me? I don¡¯t even know if I should say that you¡¯re petty or not confident in yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not confident? Ha, if you hadn¡¯t contacted him repeatedly, would I need to talk to you?¡± ¡°Why are you panicking? Am I right again?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Lin Jiao spoke first. ¡°I¡¯ll get the staff from the mental hospital to pick you up immediately. You¡¯re wee.¡± She blocked the unknown number and turned to look at Pei Zhi. She hugged his neck and rubbed it gently. ¡°Hubby, don¡¯t be angry.¡± She raised her chin and kissed those pale red lips. ¡°Don¡¯t take a lunatic to heart.¡± Pei Zhi suppressed the anger in his eyes. He hugged her waist and ced his palm on the back of her head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me talk?¡± ¡°Your voice is very sexy when you just woke up,¡± Lin Jiao said bluntly. ¡°I don¡¯t want her to hear it.¡± Pei Zhi was stunned for a moment before he smiled happily. ¡°Is my wife so possessive?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°I especially like it.¡± He lowered his head and kissed those lips. An untimely rumble sounded. Lin Jiao pursed her sparkling lips and stared at him without blinking. ¡°What are we eating?¡± ¡°Do you want to eat out or at home?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s order takeout.¡± ¡°Then you choose.¡± Pei Zhi picked up his phone and went to the study. He called Qu Shao. ¡°Sort out the information and send it to her friends in Lin City.¡± ¡°What about He Qi?¡± ¡°Throw him to the boxing ring first. When Su Tian meets that man, let him see it with his own eyes.¡± Qu Shao was excited. ¡°Okay.¡± He picked up the iPad from the coffee table. ¡°I¡¯ll do it now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Pei Zhi recalled what Su Tian had said just now, and his voice was filled with ruthlessness. He had always been protective. Moreover, the person she was scolding was the person he loved the most. He would not let her off so easily. # The zing sun poured through the clouds andnded on the small bungalow in Lufu Bay. Gu Quan followed the sound to the living room. As expected, he saw ss shards on the carpet. He kneaded his eyebrows. ¡°Su Tian.¡± Hearing the familiar voice, Su Tian, who was sobbing on the sofa, looked up in surprise and joy. She approached him barefooted, trying to win his pity. ¡°Quan, where did you go? I waited for you all night.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you to wait.¡± He stepped back, keeping an arm¡¯s length from her. ¡°Why are you smashing things?¡± ¡°I got scolded.¡± ... ¡°No matter who you get into a conflict with, you shouldn¡¯t vent your anger on other people¡¯s things, understand?¡± Su Tian was stunned. Her eyes reflected that indifferent and impatient face. She did not expect him to have such a reaction. She followed his figure with her gaze. As he headed for the stairs, she called out to him again. ¡°Do you know who scolded me?¡± ¡°None of my business.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Lin Jiao!¡± She straightened her neck and said, ¡°I was scolded by your ex-girlfriend. Is it none of your business?¡± Gu Quan stopped in his tracks. He stared down at her, his expression unreadable. ¡°How did she scold you?¡± ¡°She called me b*tch.¡± Su Tian fabricated many lies, wanting him to hate Lin Jiao. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time she¡¯s insulted me. I just smashed something in a fit of anger.¡± Gu Quan recalled what happenedst night. The smile in his eyes disappeared when he heard the noisy sobbing. ¡°Jiaojiao won¡¯t and doesn¡¯t know how to scold people.¡± ... ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± He nced toward the living room. ¡°Not until you show me the phone call records.¡± Su Tian turned to ask the nanny for her phone. ¡°You can check if it¡¯s her number.¡± ¡°Why did you call her?¡± ¡°My phone¡¯s dead. I didn¡¯t answer when she called me, so I called back.¡± Gu Quan sneered. ¡°Is it fun to y with me?¡± He pointed in the direction of the coffee table. ¡°Two minutes ago, your screen lit up.¡± ¡°I charged it.¡± Su Tian thought for a moment and said, ¡°Quan, am I that untrustworthy in your heart?¡± ¡°You know that too?¡± He took out the vibrating phone from his pocket and turned to go upstairs. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to watch you put on an act.¡± ¡°Quan¡­¡± ¡°Leave me alone.¡± The sound of the door mming from the study was like a punch to Su Tian¡¯s heart, making her face turn pale. Her uneasiness and anxiety grew wildly, and her thoughts were in a mess. She really did not know how to deal with it. Just as she was deep in thought, Gu Quan, who was sitting in his office chair, opened the anonymous email from theputer. Chapter 226 - 226 Enough Acting, You Can Leave 226 Enough Acting, You Can Leave He thought that it was junk mail, but when he saw the words ¡°Su Tian¡±, he no longer hesitated and flipped through 20 pages of documents. Su Tian¡¯s family background was poor. It was not easy for her to go to Spain to study. She could only rely on herself for her living expenses. In the beginning, she relied on her good-looking face to date two rich second-generation men in school and obtained a lot of money from them. Because of her extravagant lifestyle, her savings, which could havested until graduation, were almost depleted in just one semester. !! After all, there was only so much a rich second-generation man could give her. She was not satisfied, so she targeted men outside the school. She had traveled Europe with a married middle-aged man, had an abortion for a restaurant owner,y in the lounge with the manager of the stadium, and had been involved with twelve or thirteen men of different identities and ages. Later, in order to make more money, she tricked her ssmates into sleeping with rich men and was known as Pimp Su. Relying on the fact that she had someone to protect her, other thanmitting murder, she had done everything she could. However, a man would lose the novelty of a woman sooner orter. Su Tian was abandoned in just half a year and owed a huge debt in the casino. In order to repay her debts, she had begged for help everywhere. In the end, Xiao Song had offered her a two-year contract to tide her over. The content of the contract was very simple. She only needed to be ready at any time to apany Xiao Song¡¯s clients. However, as time went by, she was tortured to the point of being unable to take it anymore. She yearned for a new life. She yearned to live a rich life where she could have everything without giving anything. Therefore, after knowing that there was a suitable candidate back in her own country, she fled without hesitation. # The mouse stopped on thest page. After looking at all the unsightly photos and chat records, Gu Quan¡¯s mood changed from shock and disgust to extreme anger. He had never thought that Su Tian, who looked pure and kind, would be rotten to the core. Not only did she lie non-stop, but she even brought him into a hypocritical love game under the pretext that she couldn¡¯t forget him. He clenched his fists and mmed them on the desk. The moment he was about to get up, Su Tian, who was holding a cup of hot coffee, appeared in front of him. ¡°Quan.¡± She moved forward cautiously, as if afraid he¡¯d get angry. ¡°I knocked on the door earlier, but you didn¡¯t answer.¡± Gu Quan sized her up and smiled. His cold smile made her tremble, making her feel like she was in a world of ice and snow. ¡°Su Tian.¡± He leaned back on the sofa and looked at her with disgust. ¡°No, should I call you Pimp Su?¡± Hearing these words from him, Su Tian¡¯s hand that was holding the coffee went limp. Her lips trembled. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Still pretending?¡± Gu Quan lit a cigarette and resisted the urge to punch her. After all, she was too dirty. Although he was sitting, he seemed to be looking down at her. ¡°Looking at me being yed by you, are you happy? Do you feel a sense of aplishment?¡± ¡°Quan, what¡¯s wrong? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying. Who¡¯s gossiping about me behind my back?¡± ¡°Are you really not going to take off the mask on your face? Have you forgotten about the red light district? Have you forgotten about your master?¡± Plop¡ª The coffee cup fell to the ground in an instant. Su Tian, whose skin was scalded, did not even feel the pain. It was as if her soul had been sucked away and she was stunned on the spot. Perhaps because she was too arrogant, she did not expect that the matter would be exposed one day, so she could not find a way to deal with it. This feeling was like a mouse in a ditch suddenly enveloped in sunlight. The mouse did not feel warmth, only fear. Gu Quan sneered. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t discovered it, what would your next n be? Find someone to kidnap me? Or ckmail me? Or make me addicted to gambling and set me up to lose all my assets?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t! I never thought of it that way,¡± Su Tian retorted. Her watery eyes revealed her sincerity. But Gu Quan did not believe it. He stubbed out the cigarette that had burned to the end. His stomach churned at the sight of her pitiful appearance. He wasn¡¯t in the mood to watch her acting. ¡°That¡¯s enough acting. You can leave.¡± Su Tian, who was panicking, knelt at his feet out of habit and grabbed a part of his pants. ¡°Quan, I was forced! If I don¡¯t do as they say, they will torture me!¡± Her kneeling posture was too practiced. Gu Quan thought of the photo in the documents and his eyes were filled with disdain and disgust. ¡°I don¡¯t have that kind of fetish.¡± He raised his right foot to avoid her, treating her like a snake. ¡°And I¡¯m definitely not your master.¡± Su Tian kept repeating that she was forced. Other than that, she could not find a better reason. She cried until her eyes were red and swollen, and her shoulders trembled, but he did not pity her. ¡°Quan, can you give me another chance?¡± ¡°Are you worthy of another chance?¡± Gu Quan retracted his gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to pack your luggage.¡± His back gradually disappeared before her eyes. Su Tian was extremely indignant. She could only follow him to the second bedroom next door. She knelt outside the door and kept knocking, telling him about her grievances. She was delusional to think that Gu Quan would take pity on her out of love. However, when the nanny dragged her luggage and pushed her out, she realized that there was no room for negotiation. Although Lin City showed signs of warming up, winter was not over yet. The wind blowing from all directions still carried a chill. The surrounding trees rustled in the wind. Su Tian, who was only wearing a thin set of pajamas, crossed her arms tightly and looked in the direction of the second floor. ... After standing there for a long time, the tightly shut door finally opened. Unfortunately, the person who came out was not the person she wanted to see. ¡°Miss.¡± The nanny only realized that Su TIan had forgotten to take her phone when she heard the phone ringing. ¡°Your phone is ringing.¡± Su Tian nced at the caller ID and picked up the call. ¡°Song Zhen?¡± ¡°Su Tian, you¡¯re too f*cking cheap!¡± Song Zhen insulted her right away. He warned, ¡°Don¡¯t f*cking let me see you in Lin City! Otherwise, I¡¯ll make sure you die.¡± The sound of the phone being hung up pulled Su Tian back to reality. She thought of a possibility. With trembling fingers, she called her other friends. She dialed five numbers in a row, but no one answered. The beeping sound wrapped around her like a curse, making her feel like she had fallen into an icehouse. She clearly heard the sound of the mask breaking. The persona that she had painstakingly built was destroyed this evening. ... Chapter 227 - 227 He Might Not Cooperate 227 He Might Not Cooperate Jiang Ye, who was hanging from the wire, jumped down from the eaves in a white robe embroidered with cloud patterns. He held the fan in his hand. His graceful posture was like a snow lotus on a snowy mountain. He was unreachable, but it made people unable to help but look at him. ¡°He looks too good in that outfit.¡± Lin Jiao had seen handsome men in ancient clothes before, but unlike Jiang Ye, they did not give people a visual impact. Pei Yn smiled. ¡°Yes.¡± She could not bear to look away. ¡°I¡¯ll buy two more sets of ancient clothes for him to wearter.¡± !! ¡°Wear it at night?¡± ¡°You know me the best.¡± She often said that she wanted to do this and that to him. It was difficult for Lin Jiao not to understand. ¡°The ancient clothes are a little heavy. Don¡¯t you find it troublesome?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn¡¯s patience was endless. Seeing that he was done filming, she held Lin Jiao¡¯s arm and walked to the other side. ¡°Jiaojiao, do you still remember your previous dreams?¡± Hearing the word ¡®dream¡¯, Lin Jiaoyi remembered Pei Zhi, who was wearing armor. ¡°I remember.¡± ¡°Do you want to buy some for Uncle to wear too?¡± ¡°Him? He might not like it.¡± ¡°As long as you like it.¡± Pei Yn pushed open the lounge with Jiang Ye¡¯s name on it and sat on the sofa. She poured tea into a cup. ¡°Imagine him lying in bed waiting for you to help him undress. Isn¡¯t that exciting?¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s interest was piqued. ¡°Indeed.¡± She suddenly thought of something and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think he will cooperate with me.¡± They were so engrossed in talking that they did not even notice that there was another person in the room. Jiang Ye coughed twice. ¡°What are you guys talking about?¡± Pei Yn was shocked by his sudden voice. ¡°Clothes.¡± She immediately smiled at him. ¡°Are you tired? Let me get you a ss of water.¡± ¡°I¡¯m alright.¡± Jiang Ye had no intention of asking further. When he took the ss of water, he held her hand. As soon as they got close, the atmosphere became sweet. Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°How much longer do you need to film this drama?¡± ¡°About a month.¡± ¡°Are you going to stay on set for this period of time?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Jiang Ye took two sips of water and leaned back on the sofa. ¡°I won¡¯t stay here overnight if there is no night scene.¡± Lin Jiao was slightly relieved. After all, Pei Yn would be lonely if she stayed alone in Ming Xin mansion for too long. She chatted with them for a while before the phone screen suddenly lit up. ¡°I¡¯ll go back first. Let¡¯s meet again another day.¡± Pei Yn sent her out of the corridor and walked back. She sat cross-legged between Jiang Ye¡¯s knees and rubbed his temples with her long fingers. ¡°The director didn¡¯t change the script today, right?¡± ¡°Not at the moment.¡± Ever since Jiang Ye joined the filming team, the director and screenwriter had changed the script more than once. His current role was very different from the script he had first received. ¡°I regret taking on this drama.¡± ¡°You want to talk to him sometime?¡± ¡°It¡¯s no use.¡± He wrapped his arm around her waist. ¡°No matter how much we talk, the love scenes will only increase.¡± However, he could not change anything. Pei Yn kissed his lips lightly. ¡°Put up with it for a month. Next time, don¡¯t take on dramas.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Jiang Ye was revived by the kiss. His palm moved up inch by inch, passing through her soft ck hair and covering her lips again. Pei Yn, who was kissed until her eyes were blurry, leaned her ear close to his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She suddenly thought of something. ¡°A fan asked when you would give your first kiss on screen?¡± ¡°Not in this lifetime.¡± Jiang Ye admitted that he was not dedicated enough to acting and wouldn¡¯t do things he didn¡¯t want to do. He pinched her face gently, his smiling eyes filled with affection. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be kicked awake in the middle of the night.¡± ¡°You are still mentioning this!¡± Pei Yn pouted. Thest time she dreamed that Jiang Ye was having an ambiguous rtionship with an actress on set, she kicked him in her half-asleep state and even cried from anger. In the end, he had to hug her and coax her for a long time. He had to promise her a lot before he could coax her to sleep. Jiang Ye chuckled. ¡°I won¡¯t bring this up again.¡± He fed her two sips of water and looked at the time. ¡°Yn, do you want to sleep for a while?¡± ¡°Will I get a kiss when I wake up?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He carried her andy on the fold-out bed that was about 1.5 meters wide. ¡°I¡¯ll give you as many kisses as you want.¡± Pei Yn smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± She pecked the corner of his lips and closed her eyes obediently. Jiang Ye covered her with a nket before leaving. Hanging on the wire, he finished filming the second scene of the day. When he rushed back, he was stopped by the actress ying the third female lead in the corridor. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± He Jia stood in front of him and said gently, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Chapter 228 - 228 Do You Know What Kind of A Person She Really Is? 228 Do You Know What Kind of A Person She Really Is? Jiang Ye stepped back. ¡°What is it?¡± He kept a distance from strangers to avoid being scammed. ¡°I saw your girlfriend just now.¡± She looked hesitant and asked him, ¡°Do you know what kind of person she is?¡± ¡°If I don¡¯t know my girlfriend, who does?¡± ¡°She might not be what you think she is.¡± !! ¡°You know her?¡± Jiang Ye could hear the ambiguity in her words. Without changing his expression, he asked, ¡°What kind of a person do you think she is?¡± He Jia did not forget to add fuel to the fire. ¡°She doesn¡¯t have a good reputation outside. After breaking up, she still asked her ex for money and a shop. If her ex doesn¡¯t give it to her, she will harass him.¡± There was jealousy in her kind reminder. Jiang Ye knew countless people, and he could tell that she was up to no good. He said calmly, ¡°Who did you hear that from?¡± ¡°My cousin¡¯s friend is her ex.¡± As if afraid that he wouldn¡¯t believe her, she rified everything. Jiang Ye sneered. ¡°He Qi?¡± He stared at her deeply. ¡°You¡¯re as bad as him.¡± He Jia did not expect this reaction from him. Her eyes widened. When she came back to her senses, she went from stunned to angry. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell right from wrong? I¡¯m helping you!¡± ¡°You¡¯re helping me by sowing discord?¡± His eyes were filled with disgust. ¡°How, how did I sow discord?¡± ¡°You know very well.¡± The moment Jiang Ye brushed past her, he suddenly said, ¡°I forgot to tell you that you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡± He left He Jia in a daze and returned to the lounge to tell Pei Yn the whole story. ¡°Who¡¯s He Jia?¡± She looked at him in confusion. Jiang Ye¡¯s heart softened under her gaze. He put his arm around her shoulders and let her lean against his chest. Then, he looked for a photo from the filming team to show her. ¡°She¡¯s very hostile to Lin Jiao.¡± He pointed at the woman on the screen. ¡°Remind Lin Jiao to stay away from this woman.¡± Although Lin Jiao was not an actress, it was hard to guarantee that she would not y dirty tricks behind Lin Jiao¡¯s back. She pouted andined, ¡°She¡¯s really too shameless! She probably learned it from that little white lotus.¡± ¡°White Lotusr? Su Tian?¡± ¡°Who else could it be?¡± She suddenly thought of something and asked, ¡°Why did she tell you this? Did she like you?¡±¡± Jiang Ye was slightly stunned. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± He lowered his head and kissed her lips. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. She didn¡¯t confess to me.¡± ¡°She definitely won¡¯t confess in public.¡± Pei Yn felt ufortable at the thought of He Jia thinking about someone she liked. ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°No, she doesn¡¯t deserve to make me jealous.¡± She turned on the phone screen and typed a long string of words Jiang Ye watched as she sent out the first paragraph and started typing the second paragraph. A smile shed across his eyes. He hugged her tightly. ¡°Are you writing a small essay?¡± ¡°AM I.¡± Pei Yn smiled slyly. ¡°I¡¯m just exining the situation and expressing my feelings.¡± Buzz! Buzz! Pei Zhi walked out of the cinema and led Lin Jiao to the washroom. He took out his phone when he was waiting for her outside. He roughly read through it and sent a message to Qu Shao and Zhou Yanshen before replying with an ¡®okay¡¯. ¡°Hubby.¡± Lin Jiao wiped the water off her hands and held his arm with a smile. ¡°Where are we going next?¡± ¡°The arcade.¡± Pei Zhi walked next door and exchanged 200 coins from the staff. They yed from the racing area to the shooting area, listened to different music and conversations, and finally stopped in front of a row of w machines. Lin Jiao tried three times in a row but failed to catch the SteLou she wanted. She could not help but feel a little dejected. ¡°Hubby.¡± She tugged at the corner of his shirt, her fox-like eyes glistening. ¡°Can you help me catch it?¡± When she acted coquettishly, Pei Zhi¡¯s heart itched. He was even willing to give her his life, let alone a SteLou. ¡°Alright.¡± He threw in two coins and ced his well-defined hand on the handle. ¡°I¡¯ll get it for my wife immediately.¡± Seeing that he was controlling the handle, Lin Jiao leaned on his shoulder and stared at the w without blinking. The w fell but missed the target. Pei ZHi didn¡¯t think of catching it in one go. Instead, he tried to move SteLou towards the hole. He calcted the distance. When he put the coin in for the second time, he caught it. ¡°Great!¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes were filled with joy. She took the SteLou from Pei Zhi and tiptoed to kiss his lips. ¡°Thank you, Hubby.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Just a kiss?¡± ¡°There are other people here.¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± He turned to the two-personpartment where the shooting game was yed. He lifted the ck cloth and pinned her against the partition. The next second, their gazes met. Lin Jiao raised her head slightly and felt his breath spraying at her. LIn Jiao pursed her lips and red at him, making his heart itch. She lifted the ck curtain. ¡°I want Lots-o¡¯-Huggin¡¯ Bear. Hurry up and catch it.¡± ¡°Is there a reward for catching it?¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°I want you to promise me something.¡± Pei Zhi threw in two coins and hid the darkness in his eyes. ... Lin Jiao agreed without thinking. Staring at the machine, she got the Lots-o¡¯-Huggin¡¯ Bear he¡¯d effortlessly caught before she remembered to ask, ¡°What is the reward you¡¯re talking about?¡± Chapter 229 - 229 For Real This Time 229 For Real This Time ¡°I¡¯ll tell you tonight.¡± Pei Zhi took advantage of the fact that no one was around to suck her earlobe. Lin Jiao leaned back as if she had been electrocuted. She met those smiling eyes and had a bad feeling, but she knew he wouldn¡¯t say and didn¡¯t intend to ask again. ¡°Shall we eat upstairs?¡± She followed his slow footsteps and stepped into the elevator that was slowly opening. Pei Zhi pressed the button to the fifth floor. ¡°There¡¯s a new hotpot restaurant upstairs.¡± Lin Jiao, who had not eaten hotpot for a long time, was tempted. She was taken to the table by the waiter and ordered many of her favorite dishes. Her stomach rumbled as she waited for the pot to be served. The pot that had been boiling for five to six minutes started to emit a mouth watering fragrance. ¡°Eat more.¡± Pei Zhi ced the tripe into her bowl and poured the quail egg into the pot. Lin Jiao dipped the tripe in the sauce and put it into her mouth. When her taste buds were satisfied, she narrowed her eyes. She picked up two pieces of beef and prawns for Pei Zhi. ¡°Hubby, the food in this restaurant tastes so good.¡± ¡°Then we¡¯lle back next week.¡± He pulled out a tissue to wipe her red, slightly swollen lips. Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Okay.¡± She pouted and asked him to wipe it clean before leaning forward to kiss him. He rubbed the top of her head and went to the parking lot with her. ¡°Honey, are you still bloated?¡± ¡°Not so much.¡± Lin Jiao stroked her stomach through the sweater and drank the two mouthfuls of water he fed her. She was satisfied. She crossed her legs on the sofa and dangled her sockless feet. ¡°Any progress on Chu Yuzhou?¡± ¡°He and Tang Ni?¡± Hearing this, Pei Zhi hugged her and said, ¡°He¡¯s still chasing her.¡± ¡°Do you think he¡¯s serious this time?¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Lin Jiao recalled theirst time together and guessed that this was very likely to work. ¡°Shall we meet again sometime?¡± ¡°Next week.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask Jiang Ye if he¡¯s free first.¡± After all, it was not easy for him to take a leave, so they had to tell him in advance. After sending the group message and confirming the time, she was carried to the bathroom by Pei Zhi to take a bath together. ¡°Honey, let me show you a few things.¡± He carried her into the study forty minutester and unlocked the safe. Lin Jiao, who was slumped on the soft chair, had an ominous feeling the moment she heard the bell. She looked up and stared at the mps with bells hanging on them and the whip. Her face turned red. ¡°Hubby.¡± She avoided his gaze. Her thoughts were in a mess when a cool touchnded on her corbone. Pei Zhi¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Be good.¡± The night outside the window was as dark as ink. A crescent moon hung in the sky. The bright moonlight shone through the half-open ss window and carried the evening breeze towards the ovepping figures. The lights in the study went out, and the lights in the master bedroom were turned on. In the blink of an eye, more than two hours had passed. The blush on Lin Jiao¡¯s face gradually disappeared the moment shey down. She looked up at Pei Zhi and her heart raced at the thought of what had just happened. ¡°You¡¯re too much.¡± There was a hint of softness in her voice, like the peaches he had eaten. Pei Zhi chuckled. ¡°How am I too much?¡± ¡°Everything you did is too much.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like it?¡± He pushed her hair away from the side of her face. ¡°No!¡± She buried her head in his neck, refusing to admit that she liked it. ¡°Stop talking. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± Pei Zhi smiled even more. He nted a kiss on her forehead, turned off the night light, and fell asleep with her in his arms in the quiet environment. ¡°Good night.¡± His low and hoarse voice entered her ears, just like his embrace, making her feel at ease. # In an apartment, there was the sound of something being smashed. Even the door and windows shook. The setting sun shone through the gauze curtains into the living room, causing the broken sses to reflect light. Su Tian, who was squatting on the carpet, vented her anger and started to call He Qi, but no one answered. She couldn¡¯t find him for four consecutive days, and her card had been frozen by Gu Quan. It was really annoying. She stared at the remaining 20,000 yuan and tightened her grip on the phone, as if she wanted to crush it. At this moment, a vibration came from her phone. She came back to her senses and answered Xiao Song¡¯s call. Her ferocious face was no longer there. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Downstairs.¡± Xiao Song waited downstairs for ten minutes. He held a cigarette in his mouth and looked at the woman beside him impatiently. His tone was cold. ¡°I hope you won¡¯t keep me waiting so long next time.¡± ... ¡°Sorry,¡± Su Tian apologized obediently. She sat meekly beside him. At the thought of not having money, she moved closer to him. ¡°Song, I only have twenty thousand yuan left.¡± ¡°What did you call me?¡± ¡°Master.¡± Fortunately, she changed her words quickly. Otherwise, Xiao Song¡¯s expression would have be even colder. ¡°Gu Quan didn¡¯t give you money?¡± ¡°He froze the card.¡± ¡°So you went through all this for nothing?¡± He raised his eyebrows, and a teasing smile shed in his eyes. Su Tian felt extremely ufortable. ¡°Yes, can you transfer some money to me?¡± ¡°How much do you want?¡± ¡°Fifty or sixty thousand.¡± She didn¡¯t dare ask for too much at once, in case he became suspicious of her. ¡°I want to buy clothes.¡± Xiao Song was not stingy with money. ... He transferred the money to Su Tian. When the Land Rover drove to the boxing ring, he got out of the car and walked in first. His meeting with Tian Peng this time was mainly to thank the group of people he had sent over. Otherwise, he would not have been able to open for business so quickly. ¡°We met again.¡± Tian Peng¡¯s palmnded on Su Tian¡¯s butt. He patted it twice and hugged the other women. He pointed at Brother Dao who was sitting outside. ¡°My brother fell out with his girlfriend. Why don¡¯t you go out and apany him?¡± Su Tian knew what apanying meant. She turned to look at Xiao Song. ¡°Go.¡± Xiao Song instructed expressionlessly. Su Tian obediently left the private room and walked down the dark stairs to the sofa close to the boxing ring. She took off her coat and sat down beside Brother Dao, saying seductively, ¡°Can I have a drink with you?¡± Brother Dao asked hisckeys behind him and learned that she was sent by Tian Peng. Only then did he lower his guard. He clinked sses with Su Tian. Seeing that she kept moving towards him, he had no intention of stopping her. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± She replied with a smile, ¡°Su Tian.¡± Chapter 230 - 230 The Victim Is Dead 230 The Victim Is Dead He had just been quarreling with Fang Yanwen, and now he had met such an obedient woman. It was inevitable that he would be tempted. But at this point, he could still control himself. ¡°Nice name.¡± ¡°Then can you call me Susu?¡± Su Tian hugged his arm and leaned against him. Seeing that he didn¡¯t mind, she rested her chin on his shoulder and stared at him intently. As soon as she got close, the floral fragrance entered Brother Dao¡¯s nose, causing him to gradually forget about Fang Yanwen. ¡°Susu.¡± He pulled her into his arms and sniffed her neck. ¡°You smell so good.¡± ¡°Bad boy.¡± Su Tian patted his shoulder. She did not use much strength and looked more like she was ying with him. ¡°Do you still want to drink? I¡¯ll keep youpany.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to our room to drink.¡± Brother Dao held her hand and walked to the back. He said that he was going to drink, but he did not bring a ss. He pushed her into the room and pressed her against the wall. The beard on his chin pricked her cheek and moved from her neck to her corbone. They closed the door and had fun all night. Su Tian woke up at noon. Just as she was about to put on her clothes and leave, a male voice came from outside the door. ¡°Brother Dao, are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Brother Dao opened the door, a cigarette dangling from his cracked lips. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Theckey looked into the room. He leaned closer to Brother Dao. ¡°You let her go so quickly? Aren¡¯t you going to the lounge to y with her for a while?¡± ¡°What¡¯s interesting in the lounge?¡± ¡°Brother Peng has just brought something.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Brother Dao turned around and told Su Tian. He held her hand and walked out. ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡± Su Tian had no choice but to follow him. They walked into the decorated lounge, unaware that He Qi was tied behind a ck cloth and was able to see everything. ¡°Susu.¡± Brother Dao locked the door. ¡°I don¡¯t want to use a condom this time.¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Tian was afraid of getting infected with illnesses. She pushed his shoulders. ¡°What if I identally get pregnant?¡± ¡°If you¡¯re pregnant, give birth.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Brother Dao did not care so much. He picked up the chain on the ground and grabbed her wrist. Before Su Tian could react, she was tied up by the chain. He Qi¡¯s face reddened with anger as he watched. He rubbed the rope and used all his strength to break the rope in his left hand and untie the restraints under his feet. The unbearable scene made him extremely angry. He lost his mind and walked out, picking up the fruit knife on the fruit te. ¡°You bastard!¡± He grabbed Brother Dao¡¯s hair and stabbed him in the abdomen the moment he turned around. Bright red blood gushed out, but He Qi had no intention of stopping. He vented his anger one stab after another. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Su Tian screamed. The blood-curdling scream quickly made people realize that something was wrong. Fang Yanwen, who came to look for Brother Dao, followed a group ofckeys into the lounge. When she saw the man lying in a pool of blood, she felt dizzy and fell to the ground in fear. ¡°Brother¡­ Brother Dao.¡± Her brain was buzzing as she watched them carry him away. ¡°Someone!¡± Su Tian shook the chain back and forth, her face as pale as paper. ¡°Put me down!¡± Her sharp voice reached Fang Yanwen¡¯s ears. Fang Yanwen turned around and looked at her naked body, instantly burning with anger. ¡°B*tch!¡± She rushed up and pped her twice before smashing the wine bottle at Su Tian. ¡°How dare you seduce Brother Dao!¡± He Qi, who had regained his rationality, looked at his blood-stained hands and sat rooted to the ground. The police quickly arrived at the scene. After sealing the lounge, they handcuffed He Qi¡¯s hand and brought Fang Yanwen and Su Tian to the police station. This night was destined to not be peaceful. # ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Lin Hongyuan, who had received the news, called Lin Jiao. ¡°Something happened to Fang Yanwen. Go take a look.¡± He was still on the way back to Lin City, and Fang Liu was pregnant. After thinking about it, she asked Lin Jiao for help. ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°The police station next to the city government.¡± He briefly exined the situation. ¡°Compensate as much as you should. Her mother will pay for it.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao turned off theputer on her desk. She applied for two hours of leave from Zheng Yi and took a taxi downstairs to the police station. ¡°Sister Jiao.¡± Song Zhen, who had arrived at the same time, called out to her when he got out of the car. ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m picking up a distant rtive.¡± She looked up at Gu Quan in confusion. ¡°What about you guys?¡± Gu Quan said calmly, ¡°He Qi hasmitted a crime.¡± He Qi¡¯s father felt embarrassed and didn¡¯t allow anyone in the family toe over, so his mother called them. For He Qi¡¯s mother¡¯s sake, they had to put their work aside toe here. ... ¡°What crime?¡± Lin Jiao didn¡¯t expect such a coincidence. She vaguely felt that it was rted to Fang Yanwen. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. His mother didn¡¯t say.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go in and take a look first.¡± Song Zhen went with them to look for the police and asked about the situation in detail. When they found out that He Qi had killed Fang Yanwen¡¯s boyfriend, the three of them were shocked. Gu Quan was in disbelief. ¡°The victim is dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The police officer let them sit. ¡°He Qi stabbed the victim a total of four times and the victim died on the way to the hospital.¡± He then exined the situation of Su Tian and Fang Yanwen. As they were not involved and did not know, they would not be detained. Su Tian, who was injured, also chose to settle the matter in private. Lin Jiao recovered from her shock and looked around the hall. ¡°Where are they?¡± ¡°First office on the right.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± She followed the directions given by the police officers and found them in the office. ... Fang Yanwen was displeased to see Lin Jiao, but because Lin Jiao was here topensate, she could only hold her anger in. ¡°You can talk to her,¡± with that, she went to sit on the bench outside the door to wait. Lin Jiao could not be bothered to argue with her. She met Su Tian¡¯s surprised and resentful eyes and said calmly, ¡°Miss Su, shall we go to the hospital to check your injuries?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Then how much do you want for your medical fee?¡± Su Tian controlled her emotions and did not n to kick up a scene at the police station, but she would not hesitate to rip off Lin Jiao. She yed with her phone. ¡°Medical fees, mental damage fees, and nutrition fees all together will be 500,000.¡± ¡°Miss Su, are you joking?¡± ¡°No.¡± She said maliciously, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to pay this amount, then forget about settling it privately.¡± ¡°Su Tian, you¡¯re really shameless!¡± As soon as Song Zhen reached the door, he heard ¡®500,000¡¯ and could not help but retort. Su Tian was stunned and looked behind Song Zhen. Indeed, she saw a familiar figure. The malicious look in her eyes was instantly covered by her tears. She ran over while crying. ¡°Quan, are you here to pick me up?¡± Gu Quan dodged sideways. ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± He approached Lin Jiao in a few steps, his attitude obvious. Chapter 231 - 231 Degrading Yourself and Still Trying to Shirk Responsibility 231 Degrading Yourself and Still Trying to Shirk Responsibility His actions made Su Tian¡¯s expression ugly. She suppressed the hatred in her eyes and wanted to gain his sympathy with a pitiful look. ¡°Then why did you suddenlye over?¡± Song Zhen said, ¡°He Qi killed your lover. We¡¯re here to see him.¡± His unconcealed contemptuous gaze was as if he was looking at a bug in the gutter. Su Tian clenched her fists. She opened her mouth, but before she could exin, Lin Jiao said, ¡°Miss Su, shall we settle our matter first.¡± ¡°Can you not interrupt me when I talk to him?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here to solve a problem, not to listen to you talk about your own matters.¡± Su Tian¡¯s face turned red. She clenched her fists and sat back down. Seeing that Gu Quan was also here, she didn¡¯t n to rip Lin Jiao off. She said, ¡°If you pay 300,000, I will not press charges against Fang Yanwen.¡± ¡°Since you¡¯re offering such an unreasonable amount ofpensation, I can only hire awyer to talk to you.¡± ¡°300,000 yuan is unreasonable? People have to pay 30,000 yuan for a p. You can ask them how she hit me.¡± Lin Jiao looked straight into his eyes. ¡°The police told me the details. It¡¯s indeed wrong for her to hit you, but you¡¯re not in the right either.¡± ¡°How am I not in the right?¡± ¡°Did you forget about having sex with her boyfriend so quickly? I think you really need to go to the hospital to check your brain.¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Su Tian raised her voice. ¡°Lin Jiao, stop ndering me!¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking nonsense?¡± Lin Jiao sneered. ¡°Did the police wrong you? Then I¡¯ll get them toe over and you can exin to them what happened again.¡± After Lin Jiao said that, the office instantly fell silent. ¡°200,000.¡± She did not dare to look at Gu Quan. She lowered her head and stared at the floor under her feet. ¡°I don¡¯t want to argue with you anymore. It¡¯s boring.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay sixty thousand at most. If you¡¯re not willing, I¡¯ll hire awyer to negotiate.¡± ¡°Sixty thousand?! Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao turned on the screen and looked at the time. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three minutes to consider.¡± Su Tian knew very well that she was at a disadvantage, but she was also helpless. ¡°There¡¯s no need to consider.¡± She gritted her teeth and swiped open the screen. She clicked on an online bank. Lin Jiao scanned the QR code and transferred the money to her. She went to the hall to exin the situation to the police. After signing a series of documents, she left with Fang Yanwen. ¡°Hey.¡± Fang Yanwen stopped by the entrance of the police station and said arrogantly, ¡°Transfer another hundred thousand yuan to me.¡± ¡°Ask your mother for the money.¡± ¡°Transfer to me first. She¡¯ll return it to you when the timees.¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao didn¡¯t want to care about her. She had already done her part. ¡°Call her directly.¡± ¡°You are so annoying,¡± Fang Yanwenined. Seeing that Lin Jiao was about to leave, she stopped her. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a ce to stay.¡± She had been living with Brother Dao ever since she resigned. Now that he was gone, she couldn¡¯t go back. ¡°So?¡± ¡°Get Aunt and the others to help me find a house.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Lin Jiao sneered. ¡°My father and Auntie Fang don¡¯t owe you anything. How dare you make a request?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her niece!¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you take her as your auntie when you scolded her?¡± Fang Yanwen¡¯s face turned pale. She straightened her back and said, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault that I became like this! You have to take responsibility!¡± ¡°You¡¯re degrading yourself and you¡¯re still trying to shirk responsibility?¡± ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Seeing that they were arguing, Gu Quan frowned and stood beside her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Fang Yanwen crossed her arms like a rich and arrogantdy. ¡°You have to either give me the money or find me a house.¡± ¡°Do you want me to p you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Lin Jiao pped her without hesitation and raised her eyebrows. ¡°Don¡¯t provoke me.¡± Fang Yanwen pushed her messy hair aside and covered her burning face with her eyes wide open. ¡°Do you believe that I¡¯ll call the police right now?¡± ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll sue you for extortion.¡± ¡°You¡­ lunatic!¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Lin Jiao turned around and left. She stood by the roadside and was about to hail a taxi when Song Zhen approached in a BMW and asked them to get in. ¡°Quan, can you drive me back?¡± Su Tian ran over and stood outside the front passenger seat. ¡°No.¡± Gu Quan rejected her outright. ... He closed the car window and let Song Zhen drive. He turned to look at the backseat. ¡°Jiaojiao, where are you going?¡± ¡°Sheng Heng.¡± Lin Jiao opened the call log and called Lin Hongyuan. ¡°Dad, her matter has been settled.¡± ¡°How much did you give?¡± ¡°Sixty thousand.¡± She summarized the situation. ¡°Don¡¯t tell Auntie Fang about it lest she be angry.¡± Lin Hongyuan was furious after hearing the whole story. After scolding Fang Yanwen, he took a deep breath to adjust his emotions. ¡°Forget it, find time toe back for a meal.¡± Lin Jiao replied softly, ¡°Got it.¡± She stopped thinking about those bad things and looked up, asking, ¡°How many years will He Qi be sentenced to?¡± ¡°More than ten years.¡± ¡°Did you tell his family?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan had called just now. ¡°It looks like he has been abandoned by the He family.¡± They were afraid of the family business being affected, so they naturally would not care about He Qi anymore. ... Perhaps they would even cut ties with him. Song Zhen shook his head and clicked his tongue. ¡°He Qi has changed too much. I feel that there¡¯s something wrong with his brain.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s changed since he was hospitalized.¡± ¡°He was beaten upst time and was hospitalized, right? Do you think it was done by the two illegitimate sons of his father?¡± ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± Gu Quan lit a cigarette. ¡°But it¡¯s not just because of them that he became like this.¡± Su Tian was also the reason. He liked Su Tian too much and would kill someone for her. Song Zhen sighed. He stepped on the brakes at Sheng Heng¡¯s door and finally said, ¡°Sister Jiao, see you another day.¡± Lin Jiao smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± She walked towards the hall with her back facing the sun. When her figure disappeared from his sight, Gu Quan had yet to retract his gaze. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± Song Zhen continued driving towards the Gu Corporation and asked in a low voice, ¡°Do you still like her?¡± Do I still like her? During this period of time, Gu Quan had asked himself this question countless times, but the answer he got had never changed. However, he could not change the current situation. He tapped his cigarette. ¡°She has a boyfriend.¡± ¡°You can get close to her first.¡± Song Zhen knew that he wouldn¡¯t do anything to ruin people¡¯s rtionships. ¡°Find an opportunity to win her back.¡± ¡°Will it work?¡± ¡°They haven¡¯t been dating for long. I don¡¯t think their rtionship is that deep. You still have a chance of winning.¡± Gu Quan remained silent. He looked out the window at the scenes that shed past, and his thoughts unknowingly drifted away. In the end, he did not give a response. Chapter 232 - 232 Everything Is An Illusion 232 Everything Is An Illusion It was Jiang Ye¡¯s birthday today, and his photo appeared on the LED screen of Bo Yu Club. ¡°Do you like the gift I prepared for you?¡± Chu Yuzhou picked them up at the staircase, afraid that he wouldn¡¯t see the surprise. Jiang Ye thanked him. ¡°I like it.¡± A faint smile appeared on his lips under the mask. Although he couldn¡¯t see his smile, Chu Yuzhou could read his emotions from his eyes. He put his arm on Jiang Ye¡¯s shoulder and walked into a private room not far away. Lin Jiao yed a happy birthday song. As the music sounded, Pei Zhi lit the candle with the number 27 on it and listened to the voice that lingered in his ears. ¡°Happy birthday to you¡­¡± A group of people gathered around the long table and finished singing the song to the birthday boy. Jiang Ye, who had not celebrated his birthday for many years, looked at their smiles and felt warm in his heart. He pressed his palms together and made a wish. He blew out the candle on the cake and took the silver knife to cut it into ten pieces. ¡°Birthday boy, it¡¯s time to drink.¡± Zhou Yanshen didn¡¯t like sweet food. He took two bites and asked him to y dice. Qian Yue patted his arm. ¡°What about the gift?¡± If she hadn¡¯t reminded him, he would have forgotten about it. ¡°Yue and I picked this out for you together.¡± A shopping bag was handed over to Jiang Ye, and the others took out the gifts they prepared in turn. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°We¡¯re all family, so don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡± Shen Yi and Qu Shao helped him put the gifts aside and sit down to y dice. The faint fragrance of wine permeated the air, and the lively atmosphere made them immersed in it. The chatter andughter never stopped. While the six men were having fun, Pei Yn and the three women sat at the side and whispered to each other. ¡°I bought it.¡± She took out a square-shaped item from her pocket and asked anxiously, ¡°Is two enough?¡± Tang Ni, who had never experienced it before, blushed when she saw what Pei Yn was holding. Qian Yue said, ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°Is there anything to take note of?¡± ¡°No.¡± Qian Yue said with a smile, ¡°Haven¡¯t you seen a lot of movies? Didn¡¯t you learn anything?¡± ¡°But I¡¯ve never put it into practice.¡± Pei Yn put the item back to avoid being seen. ¡°Just thinking about it makes me nervous.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not happening yet. Don¡¯t be nervous.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help myself.¡± Lin Jiao was amused by her expression. She nced in Jiang Ye¡¯s direction and thought of another question. ¡°Is he going back to the filming crew tomorrow?¡± ¡°The day after tomorrow.¡± ¡°Then two isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see.¡± Pei Yn poured beer into her ss and drank two mouthfuls. ¡°He is not very interested in that.¡± ¡°Where did you get that conclusion?¡± ¡°Feelings?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be fooled by your feelings.¡± Lin Jiao had experienced how unreliable feelings could be. ¡°Because it happens, what you feel is just an illusion.¡± Pei Yn felt that her ¡®feeling¡¯ was not wrong, but hearing Lin Jiao say that, she began to waver. She put this matter to the back of her mind for the time being. She clinked sses with them and stared at Tang Ni beside her. ¡°Ni, let me ask you something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°How far have you progressed with Chu Yuzhou?¡± Tang Ni was stunned by the unexpected question. Her voice was so soft that they couldn¡¯t hear her clearly. ¡°There is no development yet.¡± ¡°When are you going to say yes to him?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± She tightened her grip on the ss, keeping her thoughts to herself. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Lin Jiao¡¯s gaze lingered on her red ear for two seconds. ¡°Ni, you deserve his love.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Qian Yue smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult to take that step. The key is whether you¡¯re willing to take that step or not.¡± They could tell that Tang Ni was tempted. There were two reasons why she refused to take the step. One was her family background, and the other was her ears. However, they did not say it bluntly. They only encouraged her and let her make her own choice. ¡°Yes, let me think about it.¡± Tang Ni nced at Chu Yuzhou, who was looking at her sideways, and suppressed the throbbing in her heart. Pei Yn changed the topic. ¡°I bought three nightgowns. See which one I should wear.¡± ¡°Do you have these rabbit ears?¡± Qian Yue asked, pointing to the headwear the second female model was wearing. ¡°Yes, I have.¡± ¡°Then this one.¡± Qian Yue shared a few more nightgowns in her collection. ¡°Jiaojiao, the cat girl suits you.¡± Lin Jiao hesitated and said, ¡°It¡¯s too revealing.¡± She did not dare to make Pei Zhi too crazy, afraid that she would be eaten. ¡°Why are you afraid of wearing it in front of him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Yn opened the shopping website. ¡°Ni, choose one too. I¡¯ll ce the order.¡± ... ¡°I don¡¯t need it, do I?¡± Tang Ni¡¯s cheeks turned red at the sight of the photos. She couldn¡¯t even imagine what she would look like in it. ¡°You can wear it for yourself.¡± In the end, they each chose one. Pei Yn picked up her ss. ¡°Come and drink.¡± She winked yfully and approached the table where the six men were sitting. The lively atmospherested until midnight. Jiang Ye, who was carrying many gifts, bade them farewell with the smell of alcohol and returned to Ming Xin mansion with Pei Yn before one o¡¯clock. He had drunk a lot tonight. Fortunately, his alcohol tolerance was not bad. Otherwise, he would have passed out now. ¡°Jiang Ye, are you sleepy?¡± Pei Yn was in a state of excitement, afraid that he would not be in the mood to do it. ¡°Not really.¡± ¡°Then go take a shower first.¡± Jiang Ye didn¡¯t notice anything wrong with her urging him. ... He found his pajamas in the closet and went into the bathroom. When the sound of running water came, Pei Yn went to the second bedroom to prepare for tonight¡¯s surprise. She came out at the right time and approached him in a belted bathrobe. ¡°Jiang Ye, you haven¡¯t kissed me today.¡± Jiang Ye leaned over and kissed her lips. ¡°Time to sleep.¡± He let go of her. Before his outstretched hand could touch the overhead light switch, she pulled him back. ¡°Don¡¯t you want the surprise I prepared?¡± ¡°What surprise?¡± Pei Yn held his hand and ced it on her waist to let him feel what she was hiding there. ¡°Jiang Ye.¡± She followed Qian Yue¡¯s instructions and said coquettishly, ¡°Do you want to kiss me again?¡± Jiang Ye¡¯s eyes darkened. He pulled her snow-white arm into his embrace and covered her red lips. ¡°Two isn¡¯t enough.¡± After an unknown period of time, Pei Yn drank the warm water he fed her to moisten her dry throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± She felt sticky all over her body. ¡°Right away.¡± Jiang Ye picked her up. Chapter 233 - 233 The Song Family Is Too Snobbish 233 The Song Family Is Too Snobbish The sound of running water came from the bathroom again. The mist on the frosted door condensed into droplets of water that slid down silently. Jiang Ye, who couldn¡¯t bear to torture her anymore, restrained himself and wrapped a towel around her before carrying her to sit on the sofa. He changed the bedsheets and went to bed with her. As he turned off the lights, he asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yn, do you still want to drink water?¡± !! ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn was exhausted. Shey in his arms and closed her eyes. The moment she fell asleep, she was still thinking that her feelings were not wrong. However, when the first ray of sunlight shone down from the sky, a rabbit headwear was put on the top of her head.. The box Bai Ying gave her was ced on the edge of the bed. Aluminum bags of different colors were picked up one by one by Jiang Ye. ¡°Jiang Ye¡­¡± Pei Yn pushed his shoulder away, her almond-shaped eyes red. She wrapped herself in the nket and turned her back to him. She looked at the setting sun outside the window and pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat in the bedroom anymore.¡± Her gentle tone made Jiang Ye¡¯s heart soften. He suppressed his desire and put the box away in the cab. ¡°Shall I carry you to take a shower first?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn did not want him to touch her again. She kicked him with her foot. Her strength was soft as if she was ying with him. ¡°I want to eat barbecue. Buy some ingredients online.¡± They had an electric grill at home. Jiang Ye bought six or seven types of meat and vegetables on the App, as well as sauces. He carried Pei Yn to the bathroom to wash up. While she was soaking in the bathtub, he went to the kitchen to peel garlic. The delivery man delivered the ingredients twenty minutester. He washed what needed to be washed and ced it on the dining table to barbeque the pork belly first. The fragrance of oil filled the air. Pei Yn, whose stomach was rumbling, ran to him in a pair of slippers. ¡°Is it done?¡± She pulled out the chair and sat down. She was craving it. Jiang Ye chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± He dipped the pork belly in the sauce and gave it to her. ¡°It¡¯s very hot. Eat slowly.¡± Pei Yn dipped the meat in the sauce and took a bite. The taste filled her mouth. She picked up a piece for Jiang Ye. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious!¡± Seeing that she was like a hamster eating, Jiang Ye poked her puffed-up cheeks with his fingertips. The gentleness in his eyes seemed to overflow. He ate the meat in one bite and barbequed a few slices of beef to satisfy her taste buds. Towards the end, she didn¡¯t want to eat meat anymore. He started barbequing potatoes. When the potato turned brown, he dipped it in chili powder. The crispy texture coupled with the chili stimted their appetite again. Only when they couldn¡¯t eat anymore did they turn off the grill and put down their chopsticks. ¡°Yn, walk around the living room for a while.¡± Jiang Ye cleared the dishes on the table. ¡°Otherwise, you¡¯ll feel ufortable.¡± ¡°Ok.¡± Pei Yn tiptoed and kissed him. She picked up her phone and walked back and forth in the living room. As she digested her food, she sent a message to her besties¡¯ group. Yn, ¡°Lin Jiao, you¡¯re right! My feelings arepletely wrong.¡± Lin Jiao, ¡°[As expected. Smirk.jpg¡± Yn, ¡°I¡¯m so tired! I ate breakfast and lunch in the bedroom and only came out in the evening.¡± Ni Meow: [Rubiing head.jpg] Yue, ¡± So how many did you use?¡± Yn, ¡°Four in total. I wouldn¡¯t believe it if I didn¡¯t experience it myself.¡± Ni Meow, ¡°Are you alright?¡± Yn, ¡°I¡¯m alright, I just don¡¯t have much strength left.¡± Yn, ¡°@Yue, @Lin Jiao, how many did you use? I¡¯m curious.¡± Yue, ¡°Six, two more than you.¡± Lin Jiao, ¡°I don¡¯t remember.¡± Yn, ¡°Is his stamina so high?¡± Yue, ¡°There is still room for improvement.¡± Lin Jiao, ¡°Awesome. Shock.jpg¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t your husband not good enough?¡± Hearing a low voice, Lin Jiao¡¯s hand trembled. She met Pei Zhi¡¯s dangerous eyes, turned off her phone, and hugged his neck. ¡°Good, very good. You¡¯re better than anyone else.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± He caressed her fair cheek, his slightly curved lips making people terrified. Lin Jiao nodded like a chick pecking at grains. She did not know how much Pei Zhi had seen and did not intend to ask further. Instead, she changed the topic. ¡°Can you watch a movie with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Then what do you want to do?¡± Pei Zhi threw away the paper ball in his palm and found an aluminum bag from the cab under the coffee table. He unhurriedly tore it open. ¡°What do you think?¡± ... Before Lin Jiao could dodge, her ankle was grabbed and she could not move. # After the morning meeting on Monday, Wu Xiuwen called Lin Jiao to the office to talk about the promotion. He held the ss and took two sips. ¡°Lin, I¡¯ve discussed it with Zheng Yi and decided to promote you to the supervisor of the nning department.¡± Lin Jiao was not surprised. She sat down opposite him. ¡°Manager Wu, thank you for thinking highly of me, but I don¡¯t n to stay in the nning department anymore.¡± ¡°You¡¯re resigning?¡± ¡°No, I want to transfer to the General Administration Department.¡± Wu Xiuwen was well aware of her ambition and admired her ability, so he wouldn¡¯t stop her. ¡°When are you nning to be transferred?¡± ¡°Early April.¡± Lin Jiao calcted the time. There was only half a month left. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to sign it then.¡± ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡± Wu Xiuwen smiled and asked for her opinion. ¡°Do you have a rmendation for the position of supervisor?¡± ... ¡°How¡¯s Aly?¡± Lin Jiao immediately thought of Aly. ¡°She¡¯s considered an old employee.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Wu Xiuwen trusted her judgment. He chatted with her about some business matters before asking her to call Aly in. Lin Jiao walked to her desk and told Aly about it. She dutifullypleted her work for the week and only told Zhuo Yuan about the handover next week on Friday. ¡°I¡¯m so envious.¡± When Zhuo Yuan heard the words ¡®General Administration Department¡¯, her eyes lit up. ¡°The sry must be especially high.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Sun Haoran turned off theputer and packed up the things on the table. ¡°The work they¡¯re in charge of is different.¡± Lin Jiao bid them goodbye before taking the elevator downstairs. She got into Pei Zhi¡¯s car and leaned closer to him, kissing him on the lips. ¡°What do you want for dinner?¡± Pei Zhi held the back of her head and gently rubbed her red lips. ¡°There¡¯s another fish in the fridge. Let¡¯s go to the market and buy some pickled vegetables to cook at home.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He fastened her seatbelt for her. As he started the car, he asked, ¡°Are you going to the engagement party tomorrow?¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She adjusted the height of the seat. ¡°Do you want toe with me?¡± ¡°Forget it. The Song family is too snobbish.¡± If he appeared at the banquet, he would definitely be approached by those people. He found it troublesome and felt that they were not worthy of even talking to him. Chapter 234 - 234 They’re Not Qualified 234 They¡¯re Not Qualified Lin Jiao had never interacted with the Song couple, but she had heard of their style of doing things. ¡°Then pick me up at nine o¡¯clock.¡± She turned sideways and stared at that face that made one¡¯s heart flutter. Pei Zhi nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± He drove in the direction of the market. ¡°Have you prepared a gift?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao took out a bottle of juice from the glovepartment and took two sips. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it tomorrow afternoon.¡± !! ¡°So casual?¡± ¡°My rtionship with Song Zhen isn¡¯t that good anyway.¡± Pei Zhi pinched her face and smiled. ¡°But you represent the Lin family.¡± Being reminded by him, she remembered that Lin Hongyuan and the Song couple knew each other. This time, she was not the only one invited. ¡°I¡¯ll ask.¡± She called Lin Hongyuan. When she heard that they were not going, she said, ¡°Dad, what do you think I should send?¡± ¡°Calligraphy, painting, or vase?¡± He always sent people these kinds of things as a gift. ¡°Come back tomorrow and pick one. There¡¯s still some left in the storeroom.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It just so happened that she couldn¡¯t be bothered to go and buy a gift. The next day, Lin Jiao chose the cheapest calligraphy from the storeroom and went to the wedding venue. She met up with Pei Yn at the door and walked side by side to the elegant hall. The pce-style chandelier hung in the hall, and everywhere one looked, there were petals of roses everywhere. The guests who came together carried gifts to congratte the Song and Yuan families. They either ttered or fawned on them, or chatted sincerely or hypocritically. Lin Jiao had no intention of joining the crowd. ¡°Song Zhen.¡± Lin Jiao slowly walked up to him and gave him a congrattory gift. ¡°Happy engagement.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Song Zhen¡¯s lips curled up slightly. He was wearing a ck suit and his hair was carefully styled. He looked mature. ¡°Sister Jiao, aren¡¯t Uncle Lin and the others here?¡± ¡°They can¡¯te because they have something on.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Where¡¯s your fianc¨¦e?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is.¡± ¡°Brother Zhen.¡± A fake cute voice came from his right. ¡°Who are these two?¡± Yuan Tong sized Lin Jiao and Pei Yn up secretly, her gaze lingering on Lin Jiao¡¯s face as if she was thinking about something. Song Zhen, who was held by her, frowned slightly. He suppressed his impatience as he introduced Lin Jiao and Pei Zhi. ¡°Your surname is Pei?¡± Yuan Tong shifted her gaze away as her eyes flickered. ¡°The Pei family from the east of the city?¡± Pei Yn shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Her expression changed slightly, and her tone was not as kind as before. ¡°Brother Zhen, my friend is still waiting for us over there.¡± Song Zhen understood what she meant. He picked up a ss of red wine before being led away. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn lowered her voice. ¡°His fianc¨¦e is too snobbish.¡± ¡°I can tell.¡± Lin Jiao found an empty sofa and sat down. ¡°Fortunately, they don¡¯t know you.¡± The Pei family protected her very well. Other than the aristocratic families and friends she was especially familiar with, no one else knew about her identity. ¡°They¡¯re not qualified to know me either.¡± Pei Yn hated snobbish people the most since she was young. She nced at the Song couple¡¯s ttering smile and clicked her tongue. ¡°No wonder the Song couple wants her to be their daughter-inw. They are birds of a feather.¡± Lin Jiao chuckled. ¡°Indeed.¡± She sat casually with her back against the sofa. No matter how noisy the surroundings were, she was not affected at all. Perhaps because of this, she attracted the attention of many people. Yuan Tong¡¯s biological brother, Yuan Teng, was one of them. He asked Yuan Tong about it. When he found out that she was the daughter of the Lin family, he revealed a smug smile. ¡°Miss Lin.¡± Before the other men could approach her, he approached the sofa. ¡°Can we get to know each other?¡± Lin Jiao rejected him bluntly. ¡°No.¡± She couldn¡¯t stand his gaze and frowned. She was like a rose with thorns. Instead of feeling discouraged, Yuan Teng was more excited to get to know her. He sat down on the other end. ¡°I heard from Yuan Tong that you¡¯ve known my brother-inw for a long time?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Just asking. Do you have a boyfriend?¡± Lin Jiao ced her left hand between her knees. ¡°Yes.¡± The diamond on her ring reflected a faint light, and Yuan Teng saw it clearly at a nce. However, he had no intention of giving up. After all, this was not the first time he had attempted to break up a couple. ¡°Miss Lin, do you know how to dance?¡± He offered his hand and tried to close the distance between them. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll teach you.¡± Pei Yn said, ¡°Are you very free?¡± She put down her cup with a bang. ¡°Young Master Yuan, I advise you not to ask for trouble.¡± ... The way she emphasized the word ¡®Young Master Yuan¡¯ was mixed with mockery towards him, and it was especially ear-piercing. Yuan Teng¡¯s expression changed slightly. Since they were friends, he couldn¡¯t re up. He said shamelessly, ¡°If I can get into trouble for her, I¡¯ll be happy to do it.¡± ¡°Do you know how to spell the word ¡®shameless¡¯?¡± Pei Yn retorted bluntly. The moment the atmosphere became tense, Gu Quan sat calmly beside Lin Jiao with a ss of wine. He looked at Lin Jiao, pretending not to see Yuan Teng. ¡°Jiaojiao, when did you arrive?¡± ¡°For a while.¡± ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao deliberately ignored Yuan Teng, not wanting to waste her breath. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking to Song Zhen?¡± ¡°Just had two drinks with him.¡± ¡°Brother Quan.¡± Yuan Teng swallowed his anger and tried to make his presence known. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring a girlfriend?¡± ... ¡°I¡¯m single.¡± ¡°Do you want me to introduce you to someone?¡± ¡°No.¡± Gu Quan clinked sses with Lin Jiao and Pei Yn and chatted about something Yuan Teng couldn¡¯t participate in. ¡°I saw Xiao Hua in the afternoon.¡± At the mention of Xiao Hua, Lin Jiao could clearly see its appearance in her mind. She asked with concern, ¡°How is it doing now?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gained a lot of weight.¡± He smiled. ¡°They were fighting when I passed by.¡± ¡°Did Xiao Bai get beaten up again?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s used to being beaten up.¡± ¡°Who is Xiao Hua and Xiao Bai?¡± Pei Yn found the names familiar, but she could not remember. Gu Quan said, ¡°The cats we fed in the past.¡± His tone was very natural. ¡°Jiaojiao should have told you.¡± ¡°You even bought them canned cat food,¡± Lin Jiao reminded Pei Yn, trying to jog her memory. ¡°Do you remember now?¡± ¡°I remember now!¡± Pei Yn had fed them a few times when she went to Lu Fu Bay to apany Lin Jiao. ¡°Do they have kittens together?¡± ¡°I heard from the auntie next door that Xiao Bai is with the cat raised by the supermarket owner.¡± ¡°So Xiao Hua is abandoned?¡± ¡°Not necessarily.¡± Lin Jiao took two sips of the wine. ¡°I think Xiao Bai likes Xiao Hua. She¡¯s probably just a friend with the cat from the supermarket.¡± Chapter 235 - 235 Her Diary 235 Her Diary Her exceptionally serious expression made Gu Quanugh. ¡°Are you guys free tomorrow?¡± His voice made both of them look at him at the same time. ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look at them together.¡± ¡°I¡¯m afraid not tomorrow.¡± ¡°Another time.¡± Pei Yn had to visit the filming crew tomorrow and was not free. ¡°We have been quite busy recently.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Gu Quan was not in a hurry. When he looked at Lin Jiao, Yuan Teng happened to see the gentleness in his eyes. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± He sensed that something was wrong and subconsciously wanted to confirm his thoughts. ¡°Where did you raise the cats?¡± ¡°Near my house.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Gu Quan looked at him. Even if he did not speak, the other party could feel the warning. He raised his chin to his left. ¡°Uncle Song seems to be looking for you. Aren¡¯t you going over?¡± Yuan Teng left unhappily. He originally wanted to ask Song Zhen about it, but there were too many guests around, so he could only give up and chat with them. ¡°Brother Quan.¡± Tang Manxi, who was also on the invitation list, arrivedte. She was wearing a heavy gauze dress as she ran towards them. Like a butterfly that had found its habitat, she could not hide her smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time.¡± Gu Quan¡¯s gentleness was reced by annoyance. He moved closer to Lin Jiao and tried to distance himself from Tang Manxi. ¡°Are you alone?¡± ¡°My parents are here too.¡± She pointed at the middle-aged couple talking to the Song couple and said, ¡°Tang Ni is sleeping at home.¡± Lin Jiao and Pei Yn were stunned when they heard Tang Ni¡¯s name. They secretly sized up Tang Manxi. ¡°Isn¡¯t Ni at Bo Yu club?¡± Pei Yn lowered her voice. Lin Jiao gave her a look. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± She took the initiative to ask casually, ¡°Is it Tang Ni from Lin University?¡± ¡°No.¡± Seeing that they were friends with Gu Quan, Tang Manxi¡¯s attitude was good. ¡°We only came to Lin City at the end ofst year.¡± ¡°Are you talking about your rtives?¡± ¡°My sister.¡± She forgot to hide her disgust for a moment when she talked about Tang Ni. ¡°She¡¯s just my half-sister.¡± Lin Jiao did not ask further. She looked at Mr. Song, who was speaking on stage. When he finished his speech with a thank you, Lin Jiao said goodbye to Gu Quan. ¡°I¡¯ll send you out.¡± Gu Quan followed the two of them and walked to the elevator unhurriedly. He didn¡¯t step into the elevator, but stared at the fading smile. ¡°Be careful on your way back.¡± The moonlight wrapped around the two figures as they walked away from the wedding banquet hall that was filled with insincerity. # In the early hours of the morning, the lights were still on in the vi in Fu Lu Bay. Gu Quan, who was drunk, unbuttoned his cor and returned to his room to take a shower. Ever since Su Tian was chased out, he had gotten someone to disinfect the house from inside out. The matter of renovating the master bedroom was also brought forward. So during this period of time, he had been staying in Lin Jiao¡¯s previous room and even moved his clothes over. He came out with a towel wrapped around him. Just as hey down on the soft bed, the phone on the bedside table vibrated. He picked up immediately. ¡°Who is this?¡± ¡°Quan, it¡¯s me.¡± Su Tian¡¯s sobbing voice came from the receiver. ¡°Can you help me? I can¡¯t hold on anymore.¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy.¡± ¡°Only you can¡­¡± ¡°Miss Su.¡± Gu Quan interrupted her. He didn¡¯t have the energy to continue arguing with her. ¡°If you harass me again, I¡¯ll call the police.¡± With that, he hung up. Su Tian, who was hiding in the washroom, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and tried again, but the call did not go through. ¡°You¡¯re not done yet?¡± A male voice came from outside the door, scaring her so much that she subconsciously shivered. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡± She quickly turned off the screen and looked at the man with tears in her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling well.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°My arms and legs hurt.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not gonna kill you.¡± He held her waist and walked out, approaching the other man sitting on the sofa. The sound of crying and moaning filled the cramped environment. Next time, she endured the pain and walked to the elevator door in a dejected mood. ¡°Why are you so slow?¡± Xiao Song stubbed out his cigarette and looked at her with disdain and impatience. Perhaps because she really couldn¡¯t take it anymore, Su Tian cried about everything that happenedst night and begged, ¡°I want to rest for a few days.¡± In the past two weeks, the clients she met seemed toe with the intention of torturing her to death, each one more ruthless than thest. She couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°There¡¯s another client tonight.¡± Xiao Song did not intend to let her rest immediately. ¡°You can rest after apanying him.¡± ... ¡°How can I apany him in this state?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t mind.¡± Su Tian bit her lower lip and wished she could buy a ne ticket to escape Lin City and nevere back. She took a deep breath. ¡°Then how long can I rest?¡± ¡°Three days.¡± ¡°Can you add two more days?¡± ¡°No.¡± Xiao Song tapped his fingers on the screen and sneered. ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks on me.¡± Su Tian did not dare to say anything and sat silently at the side. She followed Xiao Song¡¯s instructions and changed into a dress as the sun set. Then, she went to another starred hotel with him. The sun rose and the long night ended. After getting a chance to rest, she returned to her apartment and slept until evening. Unwilling to give up, she headed to Lu Fu Bay. ... ¡°Miss Su, are you here to look for Mr. Gu?¡± The nanny stood at the door and did not let her in. ¡°Is he at home?¡± ¡°Yes, please wait a moment.¡± She went upstairs to inform Gu Quan beforeing back down and telling her apologetically, ¡°Mr. Gu wants you to go back.¡± The smile on Su Tian¡¯s lips became even more bitter. She blocked the door that was about to close. ¡°Tell him that I have Lin Jiao¡¯s diary.¡± Just as she had expected, Gu Quan appeared in front of her for a diary that belonged to Lin Jiao. He walked straight to the stone table in the yard and sat down opposite her. ¡°Where¡¯s the diary?¡± ¡°I have one condition.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± His cold expression shattered Su Tian¡¯sst illusion. Even her dream of being a rich wife had been dashed. She just wanted to get out of this ce where she¡¯d been tortured. ¡°I want ten million.¡± ¡°Do you think I am a magician who can turn paper into money?¡± ¡°I know you have money.¡± ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Gu Quan paused for a moment. He was not led by the nose like she thought. ¡°But I won¡¯t give it to you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to know what she wrote?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not important.¡± He took out his cigarette box. ¡°My rtionship with Jiaojiao has recovered a lot. I can ask her directly if I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Su Tian tried to find traces of lying on his face. ¡°Since it¡¯s not important, why did youe out?¡± ¡°Is there a problem with me helping Lin Jiao take back what¡¯s hers?¡± Gu Quan raised his eyebrows. His emotions really did not change. He held the cigarette in his mouth. ¡°Forget it if you don¡¯t want to give it to me.¡± Seeing that he was about to leave, Su Tian panicked. Chapter 236 - 236 Jiaojiao, Forgive Me 236 Jiaojiao, Forgive Me ¡°Three million.¡± She offered for another price, her eyes pitiful. ¡°I really need money now.¡± ¡°A diary isn¡¯t worth that much.¡± ¡°Then give me a price.¡± ¡°A hundred thousand.¡± If not for the fact that he wanted to get the diary, Gu Quan would not even want to give her a single cent. ¡°If you don¡¯t want it, then forget it.¡± The price he offered was really surprising. Only then did Su Tian realize that she could not control him. She calcted her savings in her mind. Taking away the air ticket and the rent, she could only live a good life for a month. However, she had no other choice. ¡°Sure.¡± Su Tian unzipped her bag and handed him the property ownership certificate of the apartment. ¡°But you have to help me sell the house.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Get your secretary to do it.¡± ¡°The streets are full of real estate agents. Go and get one for yourself.¡± Gu Quan did not want to have anything to do with her in the future. His unwillingness to back down made Su Tian heartbroken. She pulled back her hand. ¡°The diary is under her bed.¡± Gu Quan asked the housekeeper to go upstairs to look for it. When the housekeeper found the dusty diary, he transferred the money to her. He stubbed out his cigarette. ¡°You got it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Su Tian grabbed her cell phone and stood up. She looked into his eyes. ¡°Quan, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Bye.¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying I¡¯m going overseas.¡± She took two steps forward, looking reluctant to part with him. ¡°I might note back in the future.¡± ¡°Whether youe back or not has nothing to do with me.¡± Gu Quan returned indifferently and closed the door. In the end, he did not even look at her. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s wiped clean.¡± The housekeeper wiped the cover of the diary twice with a wet tissue and handed it to him with both hands. Gu Quan took it. ¡°Thank you.¡± He drank the red wine poured by the housekeeper and opened the diary with trembling fingers. April 6th: ¡°On our first day in love, we went to watch a movie. I don¡¯t like the movie he chose, but I like him.¡± May 6th: ¡°We¡¯ve been in love for a month. I identally sprained my ankle. It¡¯s very tiring for him to carry me to the ss. I hope I get better soon.¡± July 6th: ¡°He gave me 99 roses to celebrate our three-month anniversary.¡± September 6th: ¡°We¡¯ve been in love for five months. My period was brought forward. He went to buy me sanitary pads in his pajamas. When he came back, I blushed.¡± December 6th: ¡°Eight months into our rtionship. He had a high fever. When I heard him call my name over the phone, I couldn¡¯t help but cry.¡± February 6th: ¡°Ten months¡­¡± At this moment, two years of memories appeared in front of him. When Gu Quan flipped to thest page, tears slid down from the corners of his eyes andnded quietly on the paper, staining her beautiful handwriting. He sat on the sofa in a daze for a long time before returning to the bedroom to put on his coat. He hurriedly went out and got into the car. The radio in the car was ying the song called ¡°Favorite¡±. A gentle female voice apanied him to Ming Xin Mansion. Gu Quan got out of the car with red eyes and went to Unit 9 as quickly as he could. He knocked on the door of the apartment on the right on the eighth floor. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± He kept calling her name, each word filled with regret and affection. He did not get a response for a long time. Since his number was blocked, he could only contact Song Zhen to help. The sensor lights went on and off. He leaned against the wall and stared at the screen. Finally, five minutester, he received a WeChat message with Lin Jiao¡¯s location. Red Maple Forest was not far from Ming Xin Mansion. With overwhelming anticipation, he pressed the doorbell. Ding dong¡ª The doorbell rang twice, and the person he couldn¡¯t wait to see finally appeared. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lin Jiao met his teary eyes and could not figure out what he was up to. The moment Gu Quan saw her, he felt even more regretful. He held her hand tightly, his hoarse voice filled with pleading. ¡°Jiaojiao, forgive me, okay?¡± ¡°Forgive you for what?¡± ¡°Forgive me for what I¡¯ve done in the past. I didn¡¯t cherish you and hurt you, but I¡¯ll change. I won¡¯t let you suffer again.¡± Smelling alcohol, Lin Jiao suspected that he had drunk too much. She broke free from his grip and reminded him calmly, ¡°Gu Quan, I have a boyfriend.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°If you know, why are you still saying this?¡± Gu Quan looked at her with a burning gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve tried to let you go, but I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t watch others have you.¡± If not for the diary, he might have chosen to take it step by step and get closer to her slowly. However, he did not want or dare to do so now. He was afraid that that person would steal her heart and get all her love. ... ¡°Winfey.¡± A deep voice interrupted Lin Jiao¡¯s thoughts. Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao and retreated. He nced at Gu Quan provocatively. ¡°This is?¡± When that familiar face came into view, Gu Quan¡¯s mind buzzed and he was stunned. He never expected Lin Jiao¡¯s boyfriend to be the president of Sheng Heng. In the midst of his indescribable emotions, he felt hurt by their intimate posture. ¡°How did you two meet?¡± Gu Quan asked. ¡°We¡¯re college alumni.¡± ¡°No wonder.¡± Pei Zhi hung the towel on his broad shoulder. ¡°Come in and sit for a while?¡± Even though he was wearing a bathrobe, his noble aura did not diminish at all. He easily outshone Gu Quan. If it were anyone else, Gu Quan might have a chance of winning, but not against Pei Zhi. ¡°No need.¡± Gu Quan smiled bitterly. ... His enthusiasm waspletely extinguished, and he regained his rationality. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to disturb you.¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He held the door handle and touched her cheek when he closed the door. ¡°Wifey, shall we continue?¡± With a click, the door closed. His especially ambiguous words were directed at the person outside the door. ¡°Don¡¯t give me that.¡± Lin Jiao pushed his shoulder away, a smile shing across her eyes. ¡°Did you hear what he said just now?¡± ¡°I heard him.¡± He led her back to the living room and took two sips of water. ¡°He regrets it.¡± ¡°Are you jealous?¡± ¡°Would you believe me if I said I wasn¡¯t?¡± ¡°I would.¡± Lin Jiao knelt on the sofa and wiped his hair. ¡°Did you already guess what he was going to say when you asked me to send him the location?¡± ¡°Sort of?¡± Pei Zhi looked up. ¡°He came to look for you sote at night. I can¡¯t think of anything else other than wanting to get back together with you.¡± He rubbed the soft flesh on her waist. The calluses on his fingers were like electric currents, making her skin tingle. Lin Jiao pulled his hand away. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± She wiped the water off his hair. ¡°I guess he won¡¯te looking for me again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s for the best.¡± If Gu Quan came to disturb them again, it would be insensible. Chapter 237 - 237 Su Tian Was Locked in a Mental Hospital 237 Su Tian Was Locked in a Mental Hospital Gu Quan returned home dejectedly. Song Zhen, who was worried about him, rushed over and sat on the carpet with him to drink. ¡°Who do you think Sister Jiao¡¯s boyfriend is?¡± ¡°Pei Zhi.¡± ¡°Pei Zhi from Sheng Heng Corp?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gu Quan gulped down two mouthfuls of wine, wanting to suppress the bitterness in his heart. ¡°He called her Wifey. They were very loving.¡± Only then did Song Zhene back to his senses from the shocking news. He ced his hand on Gu Quan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Brother Quan, I know you feel terrible, but there¡¯s no turning back.¡± ¡°Why not? She¡¯s not married yet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of time before they get married.¡± He took out two cigarettes from his cigarette box. ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Pei Zhi¡¯s interview, right?¡± ¡°What interview?¡± ¡°The reporters asked him about his rtionship. He said that he had a crush on his girlfriend for four years. At that time, the interview was even trending.¡± Gu Quan was stunned. ¡°Four years?¡± He thought about the past carefully. ¡°So they¡¯ve known each other for a long time?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen him before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I guess they met through Yn.¡± Song Zhen understood after thinking for a moment. ¡°But none of that matters anymore.¡± The person he had a crush on for four years had finally be his girlfriend. He wouldn¡¯t let go of her easily, let alone give others a chance. However, Gu Quan still had hope and was unwilling to wait. He drank two bottles of beer in a row, his eyes redder than before. ¡°Song Zhen, I can¡¯t let go.¡± As long as he thought of how sweet they used to be, his heart felt like it was being clenched. ¡°Even if you can¡¯t let go, you have to.¡± Song Zhen was usually frivolous, but at the critical moment, he was clear-headed. He said with a serious expression, ¡°Brother Quan, don¡¯t even think about snatching her from Pei Zhi. If he gets angry, not to mention you, but even the Gu Corporation will be skinned alive. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Gu Quan was not stupid. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve never thought of snatching her from him.¡± He would be better and stronger. If she wanted toe back to him one day, he would definitely give her everything. But he did not know that she was never going toe back. # The starless night was as dark as ink. Lin City Airport was brightly lit. The cold white light dispelled the loneliness and shone on the few tourists. There were too few direct flights in the morning. Su Tian booked a flight to Madrid at four o¡¯clock. Madrid was Xiao Song¡¯s territory. She did not dare to stay for too long, so she booked a high-speed train from Madrid to Barcelona. She had two old acquaintances in Barcelona. As long as she found them and got their protection, she did not have to worry too much about her future. At the thought of the beautiful life ahead, the worry in Su Tian¡¯s heart was reced by joy. Unfortunately, she was happy too early. ¡°Miss Su.¡± Two burly men stopped in front of her, blocking her way. ¡°Pleasee back with us.¡± They were like an uncrossable mountain that stood in front of her, blocking the freedom she yearned for. Su Tian broke out in a cold sweat. ¡°You¡¯re mistaken.¡± She refused to admit her identity and subconsciously wanted to walk around the two of them. ¡°You know best if we¡¯re mistaken or not.¡± One of the burly men grabbed her arm, not giving her a chance to quibble. He was so strong that Su Tian could not break free at all. She could only shout for help. She looked at the airport lobby with teary eyes. Her throat was hoarse from shouting, but no one appeared. ¡°Shut up!¡± The burly man pushed her into the car and mmed the door. ¡°If you continue howling, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± Su Tian hunched down and sobbed. She could not withstand Xiao Song¡¯s anger. At the thought of what would happen next, she was extremely afraid. ¡°Big Brother.¡± She took out a bank card and handed it to him shakily. ¡°There¡¯s 200,000 yuan here. Can you let me go?¡± ¡°Do you think we haven¡¯t seen money before?¡± The burly man rubbed the sharp dagger in front of her. His warning was very strong. Su Tian, who still wanted to live, naturally did not dare to say anything. She sat in the back seat with trepidation, her mind racing as she tried toe up with countermeasures. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The car was parked in a wastnd. When Su Tian, who was pulled out of the car, realized that they were in a remote ce, her face turned visibly pale. Her legs were trembling. ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see those big words?¡± The burly man red at her and pointed at the building opposite. On the building that was about six to seven floors tall, there were two eye-catching words. ¡®Mental hospital.¡¯ Before Su Tian could react, she was carried to the second floor by the burly man and thrown to the female nurse. She looked at the hospital gown on the stool and realized that something was wrong. She asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ... The burly man put on a soft expression. ¡°Miss Su, it¡¯s not a good thing to avoid treatment. Since you¡¯re here, rest well.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sick! Why do I need treatment?!¡± She shouted at the top of her lungs and red at him. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. You¡¯re not sick, but I am.¡± ¡°You know? Hurry up and take me away. I don¡¯t want to stay in this lousy ce for a minute!¡± The burly man looked at her with even more pity. He turned to the nurse and said, ¡°Her disease is acting up again. Please keep an eye on her and don¡¯t let her fool around.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± After yawning, the nurse smiled kindly at them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely take good care of her.¡± The burly man nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll get going first.¡± The sound of footsteps mixed with angry curses echoed in the empty corridor. Su Tian, who was locked in the ward, kept banging on the door until dawn. Before she could rest, she was dragged downstairs for a walk. The yground was filled with lunatics running around. Their blue and white striped clothes were especially eye-catching under the sun. ... They were either learning how to fly a kite, speaking to the high wall, cursing, counting leaves, white clouds, or people in the yground. ¡°Demon! I¡¯ll subdue you!¡± A man holding a piece of white paper rushed up to Su Tian and pressed it against her head. He used a lot of strength. Su Tian, who was unprepared, staggered back and almost hit the tree trunk. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± After saying that, she realized that the other party was indeed crazy. ¡°Get lost and leave me alone!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll subdue you!¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Idiot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll subdue you!¡± He repeated, pasting a note on her head. Su Tian was driven crazy by him. ¡°Get lost!¡± She kicked him in the knee and he fell to the ground. When his fellows saw him being bullied by the demon, they rushed forward to paste a note on her forehead. They did not know how to control their strength, so their actions were more like knocking. Su Tian, who was outnumbered, felt her ears ring after being knocked a few times. She was tortured to the point of crying and howling. Her entire body was covered in dirty white notes and she was in an extremely sorry state. However, the yground was noisy, so the nurse did not notice her being bullied. Chapter 238 - 238 Please Take Me Back 238 Please Take Me Back ¡°Su Tian.¡± The nurse pushed open the door of the ward and knocked on the table twice. ¡°Someone is here to see you.¡± Su Tian looked up. After living in the mental hospital for half a month, she looked much more haggard, like a withering daffodil. At the urging of the nurse, she went to the office. When she saw the familiar figure, her eyes lit up. ¡°Song!¡± She knelt at his feet, tears streaming down her face. ¡°I know I was wrong. Can you take me back?¡± Xiao Song asked the chauffeur to wait at the door. He raised Su Tian¡¯s chin and pped her cheek. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go abroad anymore?¡± Not only was Su Tian not angry at being pped, but she also hugged his leg like she was holding onto a life-saving boat. ¡°No!¡± She looked at him with red and swollen eyes. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll never leave you again.¡± Xiao Song sneered. ¡°It¡¯s toote to say that.¡± He looked down and gestured for her to let go. ¡°I can¡¯t protect you now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one who sent you in.¡± He yed with the lighter. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Su Tian was stunned. ¡°If not you, then who?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know who you¡¯ve offended?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t offend anyone.¡± She moved forward and pressed herself against his suit pants. ¡°Don¡¯t scare me. I really don¡¯t want to go abroad anymore.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to waste.¡± Xiao Song tapped his cigarette. ¡°Your apartment is sold.¡± ¡°How much did you sell?¡± ¡°Nine hundred thousand.¡± He stubbed out his cigarette and looked down at her. ¡°I¡¯ll take this money and extend the contract for another two years.¡± ¡°Two years?!¡± ¡°You¡¯re not willing?¡± ¡°No.¡± Su Tian met his dark eyes and shook her head repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m just curious. Why extend it for two years?¡± Xiao Song nced at her indifferently and did not respond. He picked up the cell phone on the table and walked out. Before opening the door, he said, ¡°Enjoy it. You can continue paying your debt in two years.¡± A warm wind blew into the office, but Su Tian, who was kneeling on the ground, did not feel any warmth. She even felt cold. She was like a puppet whose soul had been taken away. She even forgot how she was dragged to the yground by the nurse. The mentally ill people were ying around in pairs. The ¡®Daoist priest¡¯ who wanted to subdue herst time came again. She knew very well that this was only the beginning. She could not escape. # At the end of May, Lin City was at the beginning of summer. The scorching sun passed through the clouds and attacked every corner with the wind wrapped in heat waves. The Y.L. Dessert shop on Sycamore Street was doing well. Pei Yn helped the employees pack the boxes before sitting at the round table in the corner to do some ounting. She tapped on the calctor so seriously that she did not even notice Lin Jiao walking over. ¡°Boss Pei.¡± Lin Jiao put down the stic bag and pulled out a chair to sit down. ¡°Your rice noodles are here.¡± Pei Yn, who was distracted, looked up in the direction of the voice and forgot the number she wanted to write down. She shoved the paperwork aside and took the pair of chopsticks with a smile. ¡°I wanted to ask you just now, but I was so busy that I forgot.¡± ¡°Are there many customers in the morning?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She rolled up a mouthful of rice noodles. ¡°It¡¯s probably because it just opened. They¡¯re all here for the half price discount.¡± ¡°It¡¯s normal.¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°The dessert chef here is quite good. You¡¯ll definitely have a lot of repeat customers in the future.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Pei Yn swallowed the beef in her mouth and asked the employee to pour two sses of water. The topic changed quickly from Y.L. to the General Manager¡¯s Office and then to Song Zhen. ¡°I heard that they¡¯re ying their own games now.¡± She wiped the oil off her lips. ¡°Yuan Tong even hung out with a male model some time ago.¡± ¡°She cheated on him?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s possible.¡± There were many marriages in name only. Lin Jiao felt that it was normal. After all, not everyone was so lucky to be able to do what they wanted and marry someone they loved. ¡°I¡¯ll go back first.¡± She threw the tissues on the table into the trash can. ¡°Go in and sleep for a while.¡± Y.L. had a lounge. Although it was not big, there was still room for a bed. ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn stretched her bodyzily. Lin Jiao had been working in the General Manager Office for more than a month and was much closer to her colleagues than before. She passed by the office and greeted her colleagues who were still awake before walking straight to the President¡¯s office. ¡°Wifey.¡± Pei Zhi, who was sitting in the office chair, reached out and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her forehead. ¡°Is it hot outside?¡± ... ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± Lin Jiao unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her red corbone. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. I can¡¯t wear a dress.¡± Not only her corbone, but her arms and legs were also branded with a kiss mark. At the thought of the madnessst night, Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze became dark. He pushed open her cor and caressed her skin with his calloused hand. ¡°The air conditioned room is very cold. You¡¯ll feel cold if you wear a dress.¡± ¡°But I want to go out.¡± ¡°Then why don¡¯t you wear a long dress?¡± Pei Zhi carried her to the lounge. ¡°Or do you want to put on a sweater over your dress?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go home and take a look at the closet tonight.¡± Lin Jiaoy on the soft bed with him and rxed. She touched his lips. ¡°Good afternoon kiss.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± Pei Zhi stroked her long hair and suppressed the evil thoughts in his heart before falling asleep with her in his arms. Chapter 239 - 239 Marry Me 239 Marry Me After taking a good nap, Lin Jiao stood in front of the full-length mirror to tidy up and touch up her lipstick. She looked up at Pei Zhi. ¡°Hubby, kiss me.¡± Her red lips were slightly pouted. As soon as he approached, he could smell the sweet fragrance, making his heart skip a beat. Pei Zhi tasted the sweetness that belonged to her. His hand on her waist rubbed against her skin through her shirt. ¡°Let¡¯s eat outside tonight.¡± He pulled her into his arms and opened the door. Lin Jiao walked out. ¡°Alright.¡± She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek, leaving a kiss mark. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first.¡± There were more things to do here than the nning department. After a period of learning, she could deal with many problems, but she still needed to hone her skills. Once a person entered a busy state, time slipped like quicksand. When the sun set, Pei Zhi came out of the President¡¯s office and stood in front of her desk, waiting for her to clean up the table. He got off work on time every day and did not advocate for employees to work overtime, so as soon as they left, the others went downstairs one after another. ¡°Are you tired?¡± He held her hand and led her to the parking lot. ¡°A little.¡± ¡°Then sleep for a while. I¡¯ll call you when we get there.¡± Lin Jiao closed her eyes to rest for twenty minutes. The tiredness in her eyes was dispelled by the soothing music. At the end of thest song, she took his arm and walked into the television tower. They rode up in the elevator. The western restaurant on the top floor was ranked in the top five on Lin City¡¯s restaurant list, but strangely, there was not a single customer in the entire hall. ¡°Hubby, did you book the entire venue?¡± Lin Jiao spread out a napkin and ced it on the edge of the table. She took the towel from the waiter to wipe her hands. Pei Zhi took off his sses. ¡°Yes, their business is too good. I find it noisy.¡± If it was in the past, Lin Jiao would definitely suspect something. However, after interacting with him for a long time and having full trust in him, she did not think too much about it. She rested her chin on her palm and looked at the piano not far away. As she admired the music, she waited for the appetizers to be served. When the abalone soup, foie gras, and m sd were served, a faint fragrance spread and brushed past their noses. Pei Zhi knew that she did not like to wait, so he informed the person-in-charge of the restaurant in advance and asked the two chefs to prepare the meal at the same time. When they finished the foie gras, the remaining main dishes were served one after another. ¡°I¡¯m so stuffed.¡± Lin Jiao stared at the desserts on the table, hesitation shing across her eyes. ¡°But it¡¯ll be a waste if I don¡¯t eat it.¡± She was still holding the silver spoon in her hand, her curly eyshes fluttering. Pei Zhi saw how she wanted to eat but couldn¡¯t. He chuckled. ¡°Should I get them to pack?¡± ¡°That works too.¡± Lin Jiao asked the waiter to pack the food up. ¡°Hubby, rub my stomach for me.¡± She moved to his right and sat down. Pei Zhi rubbed her bulging stomach gently with his warm palm. He stared at that fair face and stroked it. When it was about time, he retracted his left hand. ¡°Shall we go to the private room to take a look?¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to see in the private room?¡± ¡°Night view.¡± The sky was notpletely dark yet, but the buildings outside the French windows already lit up with a dazzling light. Although Lin Jiao was not afraid of heights, she still did not dare to get too close to the French window. She felt insecure. She leaned on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder and looked into the distance. Suddenly, she was attracted by the shing white light. They rose into the night sky and maintained the same height as the floor-to-ceiling window. In the end, they turned into two hands. The hand that looked simr to Pei Zhi¡¯s held a diamond ring condensed from white light and approached the other slender hand. Right on the heels of that, two words appeared. ¡ªMarry Me. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± A deep voice sounded, like an electric current that entered Lin Jiao¡¯s heart. She felt her heart beating like a drum and turned around under the refraction of countless white lights. Pei Zhi knelt on one knee in front of her, holding a square box with a round diamond ring in his well-defined hand. Like a loyal knight, he willingly submitted to her. ¡°Are you willing to marry me?¡± Even though she had imagined this marriage proposal scene many times, Lin Jiao¡¯s eyes were still red. She met his gaze and thought again of their daily interactions over the years, as well as the details that could not be ignored. Lin Jiao reached out her left hand. ¡°I am.¡± She looked at the ring being put on her ring finger and couldn¡¯t help but cry. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Pei Zhi kissed the corner of her eye. His heart felt as sweet as being soaked in honey. It was so sweet that he was willing to indulge in it. He pressed his lips against her forehead and moved his lips down from the tip of her nose to cover her lips. As their lips connected, the fragrance of cypress and hot breath assaulted her. Lin Jiao could clearly hear the words that came out of his mouth. He said, ¡°I love you.¡± She narrowed her eyes and smiled as a tear slid down her face. ¡°I love you too.¡± ... Chapter 240 - 240 Six Point Twenty-Nine Carats 240 Six Point Twenty-Nine Carats When they returned to Red Maple Forest, all the circles in Lin City knew about the drone proposal. Even the group chat was discussing it. Yn: ¡°Picture.¡± Yn: ¡°Look at how romantic his proposal is. Learn from him.¡± !! Shen Yue: ¡°@Ye, she¡¯s hinting at you.¡± Landlord: ¡°Are you guys proposing? @Zhou Yanshen, @Pei Zhi¡± Ye: ¡°@Shen Yue, got it.¡± Yue: ¡°It¡¯s not Zhou Yanshen. I¡¯m at home with him.¡± Wild Cricket: ¡°Picture.¡± He posted a picture to tell them who was proposing. In an instant, everyone tagged Pei Zhi and Lin Jiao. After congratting them, they set a time to gather together. Pei Zhi set the time to Friday evening. After confirming the location, he led Lin Jiao into the bathroom. He pressed against her soft body and listened to her intermittent moans. Under the dim yellow light, the diamond ring emitted a hazy glow. Lin Jiao hugged his neck like a vine. She could not bear to let go even when shey on the soft nket. She took two sips of the water he fed her and pursed her lips. ¡°Hubby, when are we going to register our marriage?¡± ¡°June 20.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao stroked his sexy Adam¡¯s apple, her eyes curved. ¡°Have you told your parents about the proposal?¡± ¡°I did.¡± He turned off the night light at the head of the bed and pulled her into his arms. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for our families to meet next Saturday.¡± He had always been reliable. Lin Jiao trusted him with everything and slowly fell asleep in his arms. The temperature rose again on Friday. Even though they were gathered in the summer resort, they could still feel the heat wave in the air. The cicadas hiding in the grass and trees let out high-pitched cries, covering the sound of footsteps. Chu Yuzhou established a rtionship with Tang Nist Wednesday. When they appeared together, they were filled with a love vibe. He held her hand and sat down. ¡°Brother Pei, when do you n to hold the wedding?¡± ¡°At the end of the year.¡± Pei Zhi handed him a cigarette. ¡°About November or December.¡± ¡°Where?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure yet. We¡¯ll decide next Saturday with our families.¡± Lin Jiao leaned on his shoulder. Hearing them talk about the wedding, her heart felt like it was wrapped in spring water. The ring on her ring finger attracted Pei Yn, who was holding Jiang Ye¡¯s hand. ¡°Jiaojiao, how many carats is this diamond ring?¡± ¡°Six point twenty-nine carats.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that your birthday?¡± She touched the diamond, her almond-shaped eyes filled with envy. ¡°Yes.¡± It was also the day when Pei Zhi fell in love with her. Lin Jiao and Pei Zhi looked at each other and could not stop smiling. She interlocked her fingers with his and caressed the veins on the back of his hand. Pei Zhi¡¯s gazended on Qu Shao. ¡°Ask Shen Yi and the others where they are.¡± Qu Shao sent a message in the group chat. After getting a reply, he told them and picked up the menu to take a look. In less than five minutes, a few figures appeared in the private room one after another, making the atmosphere even livelier. ¡°The pool nearby looks pretty good.¡± Shen Yi picked up a piece of brisket and put it in his mouth. ¡°Shall we go for a swim tonight?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Do they have swimsuits here?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Pei Zhi put on disposable gloves and peeled off the shell of the crayfish. He ced the prawn meat in a porcin bowl. ¡°Hubby, stop peeling.¡± Lin Jiao tugged at his sleeve and put food into his bowl. ¡°I¡¯ll just eat two.¡± He slowly took off his gloves. Qu Shao, who was sitting opposite him, suddenly sighed. ¡°It must feel good to be loved.¡± ¡°Do you want me to introduce someone to you?¡± Zhou Yanshen took two sips of cold beer and raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Forget it. I can¡¯t handle women from the entertainment industry.¡± ¡°How about a nurse?¡± Qian Yue swallowed the pork belly in her mouth. ¡°There are a lot of single nurses in our hospital.¡± ¡°Brother Yi, why don¡¯t you get into a rtionship?¡± ¡°He has high standards.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because fate hasn¡¯t arrived yet.¡± Shen Yi never admitted that he had high standards. Chapter 241 - 241 You’re the One Who Wants to Kiss and Dodges 241 You¡¯re the One Who Wants to Kiss and Dodges Qu Shao suggested, ¡°There¡¯s a temple on the mountain behind. Let¡¯s go and see when your fate will arrive tomorrow.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡± He turned to look at the couples present. ¡°I heard that the marriage tree in the temple is especially effective.¡± ¡°How effective?¡± !! ¡°As long as the people who love each other hang two marriage ropes on the tree, they will be happy in this life and in the next.¡± Whether it was true or not, everyone who was in love and looked forward to being together wanted to give it a try. ¡°I want to go.¡± Lin Jiao moved to the left and rubbed her chin on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder. Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze softened. He wiped the oil off her lips and pecked it lightly. ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll go tomorrow morning.¡± Seeing that the others had the same thoughts, Qu Shao elbowed Shen Yi. ¡°Don¡¯t be a spoilsport. Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Alright,¡± Shen Yi agreed helplessly. He put down his chopsticks and followed them to the quiet garden. Finally, they went to an independent pool. The waiter brought over several swimsuits of different styles and ced them at the long table by the pool for them to choose. Light shadows shed across the sparkling pool, and the sound of footsteps was drowned out by the sound of insects. Pei Zhi and the others, who were the first to change into swimming trunks, jumped into the cool water, causing water to ssh everywhere. They swam back and forth twice in thepetition. When Lin Jiao saw Pei Zhi swimming back, she sat at the poolside, looking at him with a charming smile. That pair of straight and fair legs dangled, making Pei Zhi speed up and stop at her feet. ¡°Wifey.¡± Pei Zhi brushed his wet hair back, and water droplets slid down his eyebrows. ¡°Kiss me.¡± His sexy Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. Lin Jiao climbed onto his neck and jumped into the pool uncontrobly. She tilted her head slightly and kissed his Adam¡¯s apple. Pei Zhi tightened his grip on her. He looked at the person in his arms, his eyes darkening visibly. Before she could finish kissing, he retreated. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Lin Jiao pouted and red at him in dissatisfaction. ¡°You¡¯re the one who wants to be kissed and you are also the one who avoids my kiss.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want you to only kiss my Adam¡¯s apple.¡± He pulled her to the bottom of the pool and covered her red lips with his. His hot palm was pressed against her back, burning Lin Jiao¡¯s skin, making her feel numb. She hugged his head and floated out of the pool. At a nce, she saw Zhou Yanshen and Qian Yue kissing by the wall. Suddenly, she thought of what Qian Yue had taught her about flirting and smiled slyly. ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Pei Zhi tucked her long hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m not smiling.¡± His hoarse voice made Lin Jiao¡¯s ears itch. She leaned close to his chest again, her eyes reflecting the light. ¡°Hubby, it hurts.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± He gently touched the spot she was pointing at, his eyes filled with worry. ¡°Did you hit something?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao leaned close to his neck, breathing heavily. ¡°I was hit when I jumped in the pool just now.¡± ¡°Did you hit yourself on the elbow?¡± ¡°Not my elbow.¡± ¡°Then where?¡± Pei Zhi vaguely felt that something was wrong. Chapter 242 - 242 Stick At the Bottom of the Pool 242 Stick At the Bottom of the Pool Lin Jiao pursed her lips. ¡°A stick.¡± Her voice was as soft as a kitten¡¯s. ¡°The hotel is really careless.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a stick at the bottom of the pool?¡± ¡°Yes, go down and look for it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± There were LED lights hanging from the trees near the pool, but the bottom of the pool could not be seen clearly. !! Pei Zhi let go of her waist. Just as he was about to get to the bottom of the pool, a sly smile shed across his face. He turned around and pulled her into his arms. He tickled her and gritted his teeth. ¡°Did you do it on purpose?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao pushed his shoulder andughed until tears were about to fall. ¡°I¡¯m already injured, but you¡¯re still tickling me.¡± ¡°You little liar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you!¡± ¡°You still won¡¯t admit it? Huh?¡± Pei Zhi stared at that beautiful face and kept tickling her. His deep eyes were filled with danger. Lin Jiao climbed onto his neck and begged him to stop tickling her. ¡°I admit it.¡± She kissed the tip of his nose and leaned close to his slightly cold lips. ¡°Hubby, I was wrong.¡± Pei Zhi was about to teach her a lesson when Lin Jiao slipped away. He looked up and waited for her to swim for a while before following her unhurriedly, like a hunter ying a game with his prey. Lin Jiao, who could not outswim him, was grabbed by the ankle. She did not even have a chance to struggle. She met that pair of half-smiling eyes and her heart skipped a beat. She pounced on him. ¡°Are you still running?¡± Pei Zhi patted her butt twice and raised an eyebrow. His actions made Lin Jiao blush. She looked around to make sure that they did not see what he was doing before shaking her head in embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t run.¡± ¡°Then why are you swimming over to this side?¡± ¡°Drink juice.¡± Pei Zhi raised his chin to the right, indicating for her to see the juice tray on the opposite side. In an instant, Lin Jiao returned even redder. ¡°I want to swim twops before going to drink the juice.¡± Lin Jiao pouted and kissed him. ¡°Hubby, can you carry me over there?¡± She tried to distract him with a kiss to make him forget that she had just run away. ¡°I¡¯ll deal with you tonight.¡± Pei Zhi bit her lower lip fiercely and let her off for the time being. He carried her to the tray and handed her a ss filled with orange juice. He leaned against the wall to rest. Lin Jiao took two sips of orange juice and looked at Jiang Ye and Pei Yn, who were ying in the pool. She identally saw the whip mark on Jiang Ye¡¯s back and subconsciously frowned, but when they looked over, she immediately looked away. ¡°Jiaojiao, aren¡¯t you going to swim anymore?¡± Pei Yn and Jiang Ye approached them and chose their favorite drinks from the tray. ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± She tied her ponytail again, her fair fingertips intertwined with her ck hair. ¡°Where are the others?¡± ¡°I think they went to the washroom.¡± ¡°Come up and sit.¡± Pei Zhi felt the temperature drop. Even the evening breeze was cold. He took a few towels from the beach chair and handed them to them one by one. ¡°Do you guys want to have a drink?¡± ¡°Where are we going to drink?¡± ¡°A bar.¡± The group went to the changing room and waited for Tang Ni and the others toe out before heading to the hotel lobby. The bar was on the sixth floor of the hotel. The antique renovation style gave people the feeling that they were in a dynasty. In a cubicle separated by a bead curtain, two oilmps were ced on a mahogany table. As the bead curtain swayed, it reflected mottled light and shadow. Chapter 243 - 243 Marriage Tree 243 Marriage Tree They scooped out the fermented wine from the wine jar and clinked bowls together. The wine that spilled out of the bowlnded on the table and was covered by the light of the oilmp. The sound of dice colliding and music intertwined. The bead curtain swayed with the cold air, and the refracted lightnded on everyone¡¯s smiles. The smell of alcohol became stronger and stronger. Pei Yn, who was drunk, leaned against Jiang Ye. ¡°Jiang Ye, stop swaying!¡± Jiang Ye, who did not move at all, was confused. ¡°I¡¯m going to ignore you if you keep swaying.¡± She grabbed his ear fiercely. ¡°Answer me.¡± ¡°Answer you what?¡± ¡°I asked you if you wanted to kiss me.¡± ¡°I do.¡± Jiang Ye leaned over and touched her lips. He fed Pei Yn two sips of water and patted her back gently. ¡°Are you sleepy? Let¡¯s go upstairs and rest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy,¡± she muttered. In just a few breaths, she closed her eyes in his arms. Seeing that she was gradually falling asleep, Lin Jiao, who was sitting opposite her, yawned and felt sleepy too. She looked sideways at Pei Zhi. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°A quare past one.¡± Seeing that they were almost done drinking, Pei Zhi put down the wine bowl and led her out. The smell of alcohol dissipated with their departure, butughter drifted from the bar to the top floor. Doors closed one after another. The bright moon illuminated the corridor with cold lights, adding a peaceful vibe to the quiet night. An environment that was quiet enough could easily lure people into a dream. When the lights went out one after another, the thick darkness of the night quickly enveloped the vi, causing the entire ground to fall into a deep slumber. The first ray of sunlight passed through the clouds and spread into the forest, urging the insects and birds to start a new chapter. When Lin Jiao heard the song ¡°Sweet Sensation¡±, she knew without thinking that Chu Yuzhou had already woken up. She held the toothbrush and walked to the balcony. As expected, she saw Chu Yuzhou stretching. ¡°Is this the only song on your song list?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± He hummed along and swiped the song list on the screen. ¡°What do you want to hear? I¡¯ll y it for you.¡± ¡°Paris in the Rain.¡± ¡°Paris in the rain?¡± Lin Jiao smiled. ¡°Yes.¡± She went into the bathroom to rinse her mouth and came out with Pei Zhi. ¡°Hubby, have you heard of it?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Pei Zhi put his arm around her soft waist from behind and rested his chin on the top of her head. They looked at the long mountain range and listened to the gentle voice of a male singer. Chu Yuzhou, who was next door, followed suit. He hugged Tang Ni, who had changed her clothes, and admired the scenery in the distance. When thest line was sung, he held her flushed face and kissed her under the warm sun. ¡°They¡¯re watching us.¡± Tang Ni¡¯s eyes were glistening as she leaned against his chest shyly. Seeing this, Chu Yuzhou wanted to bully her even more. He leaned against the railing and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°Ni, don¡¯t you want me to kiss you?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I do.¡± ¡°Then close your eyes.¡± ¡°Doves don¡¯t even show love so early in the morning as you.¡± Qu Shao held a cigarette in his mouth and watched the two of them kiss. He did not forget to take a photo tomemorate it. Hearing the voice, Tang Ni was embarassed and hid in Chu Yuzhou¡¯s arms. ¡°If you still want to see it, we can continue.¡± Chu Yuzhou turned off the music that was still ying and a smug smile shed across his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t have that hobby.¡± Qu Shao sent him the photo and stubbed out his cigarette. He packed up and walked out. He met up with Shen Yi and the others at the elevator and slowly went downstairs to eat breakfast. ¡°How do we go up the mountain?¡± Qian Yue scooped up a spoonful of century egg porridge and put it into her mouth to savor the salty taste. ¡°On foot.¡± ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°About half an hour.¡± Qu Shao finished a dumpling in two mouthfuls and looked down. ¡°You¡¯re not wearing high heels, are you?¡± ¡°No.¡± After thest exploration in the forest, they did not even wear dresses when they went on an excursion. Lin Jiao put down her bowl and chopsticks when she was half-full. She asked the waiter for a bottle of mosquito repellent and sprayed it on their exposed skin to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes when they went up the mountain. The path up the mountain was not difficult. The stone steps led to the temple. Halfway up, one could see what it looked like. The air in the mountains was fresh. Birds pped their wings and yed on the branches of the trees, apanying them up. ¡°Are you tired?¡± Pei Zhi held Lin Jiao¡¯s hand and walked up thest step, stopping opposite the temple. ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± She lowered her eyes and squatted down to tie his loose shoce. ¡°I can walk for another half an hour.¡± ¡°You have such good stamina?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Pei Zhi rubbed the top of her head, his fingertipsnding on her cheek. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± He whispered into her ear, his lips brushing against her smooth skin, ¡°Unless you prove it to me tonight.¡± ... Lin Jiao met his long and narrow eyes and caught an ambiguous meaning. She suddenly realized something and pinched his waist with her fair fingers. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± ¡°Hurry up.¡± Qu Shao, who had one foot in the doorway of the temple, turned around and called out to them. After being interrupted by him, Pei Zhi stopped teasing the kitten and slowly walked into the temple. Although the temple was small, it was filled with incense. They took out the cash they had prepared in advance and put it into the charity box at the door. After paying their respects to the three Buddha statues, Qu Shao and Shen Yi went to ask the monk for a fortune-telling. The remaining two couples went to the backyard. The marriage tree was especially eye-catching. Under the shade of the greenery, countless wooden tablets tied with red silk hung on the branches, fluttering with the breeze. At this moment, not many visitors were around. They took a wooden tablet from the monk and leaned on the table to write down their names. ¡°How do we hang this?¡± Chu Yuzhou looked around the marriage tree but could not find the stairs. ... ¡°Simple.¡± Zhou Yanshen squatted down in front of Qian Yue. ¡°Yue, sit on my shoulder.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Qian Yue ced her right leg on his shoulder and raised her other leg. ¡°Stand up slowly.¡± Chapter 244 - 244 My Cat Wants to Be sniffed 244 My Cat Wants to Be sniffed Zhou Yanshen straightened his knees and slowed down his pace to approach the marriage tree, looking for branches with less red silk. As they looked around, Lin Jiao ced her legs on Pei Zhi¡¯s shoulder and pointed to the right. ¡°There¡¯s less red silk over there.¡± Jiang Ye and Chu Yuzhou followed him. The women sitting on their shoulders reached out to tie the red silk on the branch and listened to the faint sound of wooden tablets colliding. Sunlight poured through the leaves on the ground like starlights. ¡°My feet are numb.¡± Pei Yn felt a numbness like an ant biting her and frowned slightly. Jiang Ye immediately squatted down. ¡°Come down first.¡± When the softness on his shoulder disappeared, he carried her to sit on the stone bench and massaged her feet gently. When Shen Yi and Qu Shao, who came from the front yard, saw her frowning in pain, they asked with concern, ¡°Did you sprain your ankle?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn felt the numbness disappear from her ankle and gradually heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°How¡¯s fortune-telling going?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that we¡¯ll find our love this year.¡± Qu Shao ced a hand on Shen Yi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°And it is the right kind of love.¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± Chu Yuzhou congratted them in advance. He smiled and teased, ¡°Brother Yi¡¯s twenty-nine years of being single is finallying to an end.¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t even begun yet.¡± Shen Yi didn¡¯t know if he should believe the fortune-teller or not, so he didn¡¯t have too much hope. ¡°There are still four months left for this year.¡± Zhou Yanshen handed them a cigarette. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± ¡°How can you tell that I¡¯m anxious?¡± ¡°From you face.¡± Shen Yi was speechless, and he did not want to discuss this further. Theughter and chatter filled the air as they walked down the mountain path, leaving the quiet mountain behind. On Sunday morning, they left the summer vi. When they returned to Red Maple Forest, Lin Jiaoy on the sofa and watched a video. ¡°Wifey, what are you watching?¡± ¡°Cat-sniffing video.¡± Pei Zhi took off his watch. ¡°How do you sniff a cat?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never seen a video of a cat sniffing?¡± ¡°No.¡± His well-defined handnded on her slender waist and wrapped around her. ¡°y it again for me to see.¡± A cat meow sounded again. Lin Jiao watched the cat-sniffing process with him. She pointed at the screen. ¡°People usually sniff the cat from the head, then the face, then the neck and belly.¡± Pei Zhi looked at the person in his arms. He turned off the screen and ced his warm palm on the back of her head. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Ok what?¡± ¡°My cat wants to be sniffed.¡± He leaned close to her neck. ¡°As her owner, I naturally have to satisfy her, right?¡± His hot breath was like dandelions blown away by the wind, tickling her skin. Lin Jiao watched as he sniffed from her neck to her corbone, her face visibly red. She pushed his shoulder away. ¡°I¡¯m not a cat.¡± Pei Zhi stared at her with a burning gaze and carried her into the bedroom without giving her a chance to escape. He found the cat ears headband and bell ne and gently put them on for her. ¡°You are now.¡± The crisp sound brought back Lin Jiao¡¯s memories. At the thought of wearing a chainst time, she couldn¡¯t help but bend her knees and move back. ¡°Hubby, I¡¯m a little sleepy.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll sleep with you.¡± Pei Zhi took off his loungewear and ced his strong arms on the nket. Lin Jiao¡¯s heart skipped a beat, unable to resist the temptation. She looked away from his abs and turned to pick up the tie on the bedside table. ¡°Sure, but you have to be obedient.¡± Guessing what she was going to do next, Pei Zhi smiled with interest. He leaned against the soft pillow and looked at his prey, who thought she could control everything, as she walked step by step towards the trap. Chapter 245 - 245 Isn’t It Sweeter Than Me 245 Isn¡¯t It Sweeter Than Me Cold air gushed out of the air conditioner, blowing against the gray curtains that were pressed against the floor-to-ceiling window. Lin Jiao, who was in the dominant position, suddenly felt excited. She did not think know the consequences at all. She touched that god-like face and smiled smugly. ¡°Hubby.¡± She touched his thin lips and watched as the corners of his eyes turned red. ¡°Do you want to eat peaches?¡± !! Pei Zhi gulped. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then give me a minute.¡± She ran barefoot to the kitchen and took out a peach from the fridge. The pink peach was the size of her palm. As soon as she brought it to her nose, she could smell the sweet fragrance. Lin Jiao bit off a piece of it and slowly brought it to his lips, watching him chew and swallow. She smiled. ¡°Is it sweeter than me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the sweetest.¡± Pei Zhi stared at her sparkling lips, his voice a little hoarse. He was not in the mood to admire her eating peaches. With a twist of his wrist, he broke free from the restraints and grabbed her slender waist tightly. Lin Jiao was caught off guard by his sudden action. Before she could react, the world spun and the peach in her hand identally fell to the ground. Half a peachy quietly in the shadow of the sun, not picked up until dusk fell. Simr things happened frequently in the following days. Lin Jiao, who had been fooled several times, decided to teach him a lesson. She returned to the Lin family a week before the wedding. No matter how he coaxed her, she refused to sleep with him. ¡°Honey.¡± Pei Zhi video-called her every night. ¡°I miss you so much.¡± His voice was filled with longing, like a rooted vine that wrapped around Lin Jiao¡¯s heart. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just meet this afternoon?¡± Shey on the bed and stroked his eyebrows through the screen. ¡°It¡¯s different.¡± His gaze moved down to her fair corbone. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well without you.¡± ¡°Try drinking a ss of milk before going to bed.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless even if I drink two sses.¡± Lin Jiao pursed her lips. ¡°Thene over now?¡± It had been nearly five days since shesty in his arms. She really missed him. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re the best.¡± Pei Zhi kissed the camera. He rushed to the Lin family and caught the person who jumped into his arms. ¡°Are they asleep?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lin Jiao hung on him like an octopus and let him carry her upstairs. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you wearing a sweater? Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± Pei Zhi came in a hurry. He was only wearing loungewear under his coat. However, he could not feel the coldness. He only wanted to hug his wife to sleep. His hand brushed past Lin Jiao¡¯s skin, and her heart skipped a beat. She listened to the sound of the door being locked. Before she could say a word, he kissed her passionately. ¡°Hubby¡­¡± She fell onto the bed and leaned back. ¡°I have to wear a wedding dress the day after tomorrow.¡± Pei Zhi naturally understood what she meant. Under the dim light, he used his thin lips to trace her face, releasing his uncontroble love for her before falling in ecstasy with her. The night light was on until two in the morning. They hugged each other under the warm nket and fell asleep feeling each other¡¯s warmth. # On October 15th, the guests attending the wedding went to Rose Manor to congratte the newlywed. The beautiful roses bloomed in the most beautiful manner, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. Shen Yi and Zhou Yanshen stood in front of the door and smiled at the guests. asionally, they would exchange a few pleasantries before getting the waiter to lead them to their seats. ¡°President Pei is too influential.¡± Zhou Yanshen looked around and lowered his voice. ¡°Three politicians are here so far.¡± ¡°More than that.¡± Shen Yi put down the champagne ss and pointed at the middle-aged man and woman sitting in the second row. ¡°They¡¯re colleagues with my father.¡± ¡°Their daughter is not bad.¡± Zhou Yanshen instantly changed the topic. ¡°Are you interested?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about the one on the right in the third row?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not my type.¡± Shen Yi retracted his gaze and asked Chu Yuzhou toe over. ¡°I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡± He raised his wrist to nce at the watch. Before he could take two steps forward, a figure bumped into him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Xi Wen looked up and blushed when she saw that handsome face. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± The moment she looked over, Shen Yi felt like a stone had been thrown into his calm heart, causing a ripple to spread uncontrobly. He calmed himself down. ¡°Are you ok?¡± ¡°I sprained my ankle.¡± Xi Wen endured the pain, her clear eyes slightly red. ¡°Can I see it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She lowered her eyes and looked at the man squatting in front of her. ¡°Sorry to trouble you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Shen Yi ced his hand on her ankle. ¡°Put your hand on my shoulder and raise your left foot.¡± Xi Wen did as she was told. She could feel the warmth of his palm on her ankle and the heart was in a mess. ... ¡°Is it serious?¡± Her palms were covered in sweat, and she almost lost her bnce. Shen Yi quickly helped her up. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He slowly stood up. ¡°You¡¯ll be fine after applying ointment for two days.¡± Chapter 246 - 246 Wedding 246 Wedding Xi Wen asked, ¡°Apply what ointment?¡± She nced at him quickly. Her heart was beating so fast that it hurt her eardrums and her thoughts were in a mess. ¡°I¡¯ll show you the picture.¡± Shen Yi swiped open his phone and asked her to add him on WeChat. Seeing her add him on Wechat, he was secretly joyful. ¡°Which row do you sit in? I¡¯ll help you over.¡± ¡°Second row on the left.¡± She smelled the faint smell of tobo on him and her heart was pounding. !! Shen Yi wanted nothing more than to make this journey longer. Unfortunately, the journey would end no matter how long it was. He stopped in front of her seat and asked, ¡°Did youe alone?¡± Xi Wen sat down unhurriedly. ¡°No.¡± She pointed at the couple talking to Pei Qisheng. ¡°My parents are over there.¡± ¡°Brother Yi.¡± Chu Yuzhou, who suddenly appeared, grabbed his arm. ¡°The wedding is about to begin.¡± As the best man, they were about to go on stage. In order to prepare, Shen Yi did not talk to Xi Wen much and walked to the back. It was almost eleven o¡¯clock when the wedding march started. The invited guests sat down one after another and stopped chatting as they looked at the stage surrounded by white roses. They waited quietly for the groom to walk up to the stage. Pei Zhi was wearing a high-end suit. His white shirt was ironed to the point of no creases and buttoned to the top. Just by standing there, he attracted the attention of all the guests. He looked straight ahead. When that graceful figure appeared, the aura around him suddenly softened. ¡°Bang¡ªBang¡ª¡± The balloons hanging on both sides of the long corridor exploded, and countless rose petals fluttered in the breeze to wee the bride. The fragrance of flowers spread. Lin Jiao held Lin Hongyuan¡¯s arm and stepped onto the long corridor filled with flower petals. Her main wedding was decorated with diamonds and light-colored embroidery. The lines from her swan neck to her waist were smooth and beautiful. She looked like a girl who had walked out of an oil painting. She looked at Pei Zhi through the white veil with a smile on her beautiful face, making everything around her seem like a background. Pei Zhi went forward to hold his beloved¡¯s hand. He rubbed her knuckles, and an indescribable emotion welled up in his heart. He could not hear anything around him. His eyes were filled with the woman he had loved for many years and he had even forgotten to exchange the rings. ¡°Kiss, kiss!¡± The best men standing on the right began to cheer, mixed with apuse. Lin Jiao, who had her white veil lifted, clenched the bouquet and looked at the face that was magnified in front of her, feeling a little nervous. The moment their lips touched, Pei Zhi felt as if a feather had tickled his heart. Even the hand holding the back of her head was trembling. ¡°Wifey.¡± He pressed his forehead against hers and whispered in a voice only she could hear, ¡°I love you.¡± His words sounded like mellow wine, making her intoxicated. ¡°I love you too.¡± She kissed him on the lips again and listened to the blessings in her ear. He held her waist and did not hesitate to release his love. Amidst their intertwined breaths, he could not bear to leave. At this moment, he thought of that summer. Under the bright moonlight, she bumped into his arms and started their story. He clearly remembered a sentence he saw in the book she was reading one evening. ¡°I yearn for someone to love me fiercely until death and understand that love is as powerful as death.¡± He thought that he would spend the rest of his life proving it. He would love her fiercely until his death. # # Chapter 247 - 247 Deep Feelings (1) 247 Deep Feelings (1) Pei Zhi had a rough idea of what he wanted his life to be like.
The first half of his life was focused on his study and career, while the second half of his life was filled with Lin Jiao. From the moment he had a crush on her, he set a goal for their future with anticipation. In order not to disturb Lin Jiao¡¯s studies, he decided to wait for her to graduate before confessing. When he found out that she was with someone else, he realized that love was different from career. nning alone was not enough. ¡°Are you free the day after tomorrow?¡± Seeing that he was not listening carefully, Zhou Yanshen ced his hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. Pei Zhi, who had been pulled back from his thoughts, was disinterested when he heard him mention the Halloween party. He put down his ss. ¡°I¡¯m not free.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d get you to meet Jiaojiao.¡± A smile shed across Zhou Yanshen¡¯s eyes. ¡°Since you¡¯re busy, forget it.¡± ¡°Her boyfriend isn¡¯t going?¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll invite him?¡±
Of course not. Pei Zhi was silent for a moment. ¡°Who is she cosying?¡± ¡°Harley Quinn.¡± ¡°Brother Pei, you can cosy as the Joker.¡± Chu Yuzhou quickly suggested. ¡°They happen to be a couple.¡± Shen Yi said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it too obvious?¡± ¡°No. They¡¯re just cosying two characters. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± ¡°Who are you cosying?¡± Zhou Yanshen opened his secretary¡¯s WeChat. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to prepare the costume.¡± ¡°Spider-Man.¡± ¡°Middle Eastern oil baron.¡± Chu Yuzhou received their strange gazes and said with a straight face, ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± They had to admit that he had a talent for making peopleugh.
Pei Zhi, who was suddenly in a good mood, smiled. On the day of the party, he went to the Zhou family¡¯s house early to do his makeup. The makeup of the joker was notplicated, but including dyeing his hair and putting on a tattoo, it took a long time. Pei Zhi looked at his makeup, hair, and tattoo through the mirror and raised an eyebrow. He tidied his vest and slowly walked downstairs with his walking stick. The moment he appeared, he became the center of attention. ¡°Brother Pei, you¡¯re too handsome!¡± Chu Yuzhou, the Middle Eastern oil baron, handed the phone to the woman on the right. ¡°Help us take a few photos.¡± With the sound of the shutter, the party themed ¡°Free Animal¡± began. Lin Jiao, Harley Quinn, appeared in her high heels and looked at the Joker through the crowd. The moment their eyes met, surprise shed across her eyes. She subconsciously ignored the others and walked straight to him. ¡°Uncle.¡± She put down the baseball bat and sized up his makeup. ¡°You look so good as the Joke!¡± Pei Zhi tightened his grip on the walking stick and pretended to be calm. He lowered his eyes and his gazended on her fis stockings. The fire in his heart was ignited, and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not cold.¡± She leaned back, revealing her slender waist. ¡°The heater in the room is too strong. I even feel hot.¡± Pei Zhi tensed up even more. In order to avoid losing control of his emotions, he looked away from her and changed the topic. ¡°Why isn¡¯t Pei Yn with you?¡± ¡°She went to the amusement park with Qu Wenhao.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Qu Wenhao.¡± Thinking that he did not hear her, Lin Jiao whispered into his ear, ¡°Her boyfriend.¡± Chapter 248 - 248 Deep Feelings (2) 248 Deep Feelings (2) The sweet smell of her mouth brushed past the tip of his nose and, together with her warm breath, tugged at his heartstrings.
Pei Zhi could not help but turn around and look into her eyes. His hot and aggressive gaze stunned Lin Jiao, but when she looked at him again, he returned to his usual gentle self. She thought she was mistaken and continued chewing gum, blowing out a pink bubble. He yearned for her red lips, but as a senior, he had to restrain himself. ¡°How long has she been dating Qu Wenhao?¡± Pei Zhi resisted the urge to poke her cheek. ¡°More than half a month.¡± The bubble she blew burst with a pop. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t remember much.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not a bad person. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Pei Zhi stared at her lips and felt even thirstier. ¡°Do you have any more gum?¡± Lin Jiao took one out of her pocket and handed it to him.
She used the tip of her tongue to wipe the candy from her lips. ¡°Uncle, aren¡¯t you going to y dice with them?¡± ¡°There are too many people.¡± Pei Zhi nced at the group of people who were having fun and had no intention of joining. Of course, he wanted to spend more time with her. He picked up his ss and moved his lips closer to the edge. ¡°There¡¯s a fireworks show at ten o¡¯clock. Do you want to watch it?¡± The television tower not far from the Zhou family¡¯s house would hold a fireworks show at ten o¡¯clock sharp. The balcony on the third floor was the best viewing spot. Lin Jiao did not hesitate. ¡°Yes.¡± She took a bottle of red wine and a wine ss and walked upstairs with him. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°9:47.¡± Pei Zhi stopped in front of the double ss door and looked at her sideways. ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go outter.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lin Jiao sat on the sofa, stretching her long legszily. Pei Zhi finished the red wine in his ss in one gulp and looked out the window at the bright moon and stars, not letting her see the darkness in his eyes.
Thirteen minutes felt like an eternity at this moment. The moment a ray of light shed in the dark night, the ss door was pushed open by her. Lin Jiao watched the fireworks bloom. Her ponytails swayed as she looked up. The stars were reflected in her eyes, brighter than the gxy. Just one look was enough to make him intoxicated. ¡°When was thest time you watched fireworks?¡± Pei Zhi leaned against the balcony, his deep eyes only able to see her. ¡°The second day of the Chinese new year.¡± ¡°The day you were with me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Lin Jiao took two sips of red wine and pointed at the second set of fireworks. ¡°That shape is beautiful.¡± ¡°Click¡ª¡± When Chu Yuzhou was secretly taking photos, he forgot to turn off the sound. Seeing that they had turned around, he touched the tip of his nose awkwardly and said, ¡°The night scene is not bad. Shall I take some photos for you two?¡± Lin Jiao and Pei Zhi both agreed. Pei Zhi put down his wine ss and raised his tattooed hand to cover his lips. Beside him, Lin Jiao ced the baseball bat on the back of her neck and raised her right foot slightly, approaching Pei Zhi. The fireworks became their background, and the scene was recorded by the camera. ¡°Change your pose.¡± Chu Yuzhou said in all seriousness, ¡°Lin Jiao, put your left arm around his waist.¡± Chapter 249 - 249 Deep Love (3) 249 Deep Love (3) Lin Jiao had seen the stills of the Joker and Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad and did not think there was a problem with holding his waist. She held out her left hand. ¡°And?¡± Pei Zhi lowered his eyes to look at the hand around his waist, his heart beating wildly. ¡°Brother Pei, hold the back of her head.¡± The voice from behind the camera pulled him back from his thoughts. Pei Zhi ced his palm on the back of Lin Jiao¡¯s head. There was a soft touch under his skin, but it was like an electric current running through his heart. ¡°Why are you two so far away?¡± Chu Yuzhou wanted them to interact more intimately. ¡°It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t know each other.¡± Lin Jiao did not argue. She took a step forward and met Pei Zhi¡¯s gaze. She was so close that her breathing became rapid. At this moment, his eyes were like mellow wine. The moment his eyshes fluttered, the fragrance of wine spread and brushed past every inch of her skin. Inparison, Pei Zhi, who was stirred up by an invisible me, felt even worse. Fortunately, Chu Yuzhou was done taking photos very quickly. Pei Zhi did not have to be tortured anymore, and the me was extinguished by the wind. The fireworks that bloomed in the sky gradually disappeared, but the night continued. The three of them went downstairs with different moods. Zhou Yanshen and Shen Yi, who were drunk, continued to y games. The sound of sses clinking continued until dawn. In her drunken state, Lin Jiao¡¯s vision was blurred. She held the red wine ss with both hands and looked at the ceiling light without blinking, like an obedient kitten. However, Pei Zhi knew that if this kitten continued drinking, it would pass out. He snatched the ss and helped her upstairs. ¡°You want to kidnap me.¡± Lin Jiao leaned against his arm weakly. Every step she took felt like she was stepping on clouds. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s the rope?¡± ¡°Bedroom.¡± The Zhou family¡¯s house had a bedroom that belonged to her. She woulde over asionally to stay for the night. Pei Zhi pushed open the door of the third bedroom on the second floor and sat her down. He found the makeup remover from the bathroom. Then, he pinched her chin and wiped her face. Lin Jiao pushed him uncooperatively. ¡°Alcohol will ruin my face!¡± ¡°This is a makeup remover.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want it.¡± Pei Zhi did not give her a chance to run away and held her waist firmly. ¡°Be a good girl.¡± She did not know what his hoarse voice meant. She struggled in his arms, wanting to avoid the coldness on her face. Pei Zhi felt extremely ufortable with her struggling in his arms, but he still resisted the urge to cross the line and remove the makeup on her face. Gradually, Lin Jiao stopped resisting. She leaned against the soft sofa and watched as the man in front of her washed her face and feet. ¡°When are your peopleing?¡± ¡°What people?¡± ¡°The people whoe to pick us up.¡± She nced at the night sky outside the window and stroked his face. ¡°Did Batman hurt you?¡± Pei Zhi was speechless. She was too into the acting. ¡°No.¡± He took a deep breath and wiped the water off her fair feet. ¡°He can¡¯t hurt me.¡± Hearing that, Lin Jiao felt relieved. In a daze, she was carried to the bed by him and rubbed against the soft pillow. ¡°Are you going to sit here and keep watch tonight?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very chaotic outside.¡± ¡°Then remember to wake me up if you¡¯re in danger.¡± She already treated him as the real Joker. There was a burning me in his eyes, but she was too drunk to notice it. Perhaps it was only at this moment that Pei Zhi dared to show his true colors in front of her. ¡°Alright,¡± Pei Zhi said, ¡°Good night.¡± He leaned back against the bed and sat by her side. His palmnded on the ck hair and gently stroked it over and over again. Her light breathing lingered in his ears, adding a rare sense of peace to the night. He looked at her sleeping face and smiled. Although having a secret crush was bitter, he could still find a little sweetness in the bitterness. This sweetness became his pir of support, allowing him to obtain thefort he desperately needed. No matter what the future held, he would dly take it. Chapter 250 - 250 Deep Love (4) 250 Deep Love (4) Before Pei Zhi could steal a kiss from the ¡®Harley Quinn¡¯ on the bed, he was pulled back to reality by a series of sobs. He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Lin Jiao, who was crying uncontrobly in his arms. ¡°Honey?¡± Lin Jiao, whose tears had been kissed away, woke up under his gentle voice, but she could not distinguish between dream and reality immediately. ¡°Pei Zhi!¡± A questioning voice sounded in his ear. ¡°Tell me clearly, how far have you two gone?¡± What do you mean?¡± ¡°She even sent me a message to provoke me!¡± She cried until her shoulders trembled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to admit it?¡± Pei Zhi was confused. Without asking further, he covered her red lips. Simple and straightforward methods were the most effective. In just a few breaths, Lin Jiao gradually calmed down and regained consciousness. Shey on his chest to calm her breathing and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯m so angry. You went too far in my dream.¡± ¡°What did I do?¡± ¡°You were seduced by a woman. That woman even sent me an ambiguous photo of you two.¡± ¡°Dreams are the opposite of reality.¡± Pei Zhi patted her back and said firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t betray you.¡± His words and actions had always proved it. When she heard his promise, Lin Jiao felt like she had tasted honey. She leaned close to his neck. ¡°Sleep.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± ¡°I want to do something happy.¡± Before she could respond, his thin lipsnded on her earlobe. Under the rustling sound, there was an ambiguous atmosphere thatsted until dawn. Lin Jiao woke upte as expected. She stood in front of the mirror to brush her teeth and nced at Pei Zhi from time to time. They had been married for two years, but he was still passionate in bed, even more so than before. Of course, she liked it too. Especially when he kissed her stomach and looked at her with a deep gaze filled with desire, she would be strangely satisfied. ¡°Do you want me to do you again?¡± Pei Zhi pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the side. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then why are you seducing me?¡± A faint mint fragrance brushed past the tip of Lin Jiao¡¯s nose. Just as she was about to retreat, her lips were devoured by him. In the past, she would definitely let him show his love, but today, she didn¡¯t. ¡°We still have to go to Yn¡¯s house in the afternoon.¡± She red at him and walked out in her slippers. ¡°Go and get changed.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Zhi got out of bed reluctantly. They went out at three o¡¯clock and headed to the building where Pei Yn lived. At the end of the previous year, Jiang Ye bought a three-bedroom wedding house in Red Maple Forest and only moved in with Pei Yn in Marchst year. Ever since they got married, he had cut down on his work and was not so busy anymore. ¡°Jiaojiao.¡± Pei Yn opened the door and took out slippers from the shoe cab. ¡°I have good news for you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Lin Jiao held Pei Zhi¡¯s arm and walked to the living room. She nced at the wooden board that Jiang Ye was piecing together and asked in confusion, ¡°What are you assembling?¡± ¡°The crib.¡± ¡°Crib¡­ you have a baby?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Ye couldn¡¯t help but smile. Seeing that he was overjoyed, Lin Jiao asked, ¡°Did you just find out?¡± Chapter 251 - 251 Chapter 251 Deep Love (5) 251 Chapter 251 Deep Love (5) ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Pei Yn took out the pregnancy test report, her eyes filled with joy. ¡°The baby is already two months old.¡± Lin Jiao stared at the ck dot on the ultrasound and clearly felt the birth of a life. She carefully reached out and touched Pei Yn¡¯s t stomach. ¡°Do you have morning sickness now?¡± ¡°No.¡± Pei Yn leaned against the soft pillow and blinked yfully. ¡°It¡¯s just that my appetite has increased.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not too bad.¡± ¡°Have you told your parents?¡± Pei Zhi rolled up his sleeves and squatted on the carpet to assemble the crib with Jiang Ye. Pei Yn nodded. ¡°I told them this morning.¡± She looked at the blueprint of the nursery with Lin Jiao. ¡°Which one do you think is better?¡± ¡°Did you draw this?¡± ¡°Yes, he¡¯s the one who designed most of it.¡± Seeing that they valued it so much, Lin Jiao flipped through the three drawings and made some suggestions. She took the cell phone from Pei Yn and helped her choose some of the stuff she needed. The four of them did their own things. The cold air from the air conditioner brushed past their skin. Not only could it calm people down, but it could also dispel the heat. Pei Yn suddenly thought of something. ¡°I can¡¯t be a bridesmaid next month.¡± Shen Yi was getting married next month. His Madam, Xi Wen, had invited them to be her bridesmaids, but with her current situation, she could not do it. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I think Wen can find someone else to rece you.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Pei Yn sent Xi Wen a WeChat message. Seeing that she had called, she started talking about her pregnancy with Xi Wen. Hearing the joy in her voice, Lin Jiao was inexplicably touched and envious. Her gaze moved up from Pei Zhi¡¯s slender and strong arm to his side profile. Sometimes, decisions were made in an instant. Or rather, the love and sense of security he gave her allowed her to remain loyal from the beginning to the end. Therefore, she could instantly sense the answer in her heart without thinking. When she got home that night, she couldn¡¯t wait to make ns for the answer. First, she asked him, ¡°When¡¯s the next time you get a refill?¡± Last year, new contraceptives were introduced in the country. One shot was effective for six months to a year for a man. ¡°In three months.¡± Pei Zhi took out a cut watermelon from the fridge and forked a piece with a silver fork. ¡°You want a baby?¡± He could easily tell what she was thinking. Lin Jiao leaned closer to him. ¡°Why are you so calm? Don¡¯t you want a baby?¡± He couldn¡¯t exin how he felt, but it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want a baby. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Lin Jiao nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± She swallowed the watermelon and climbed onto his neck. ¡°Let¡¯s have two, okay?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Giving birth is too torturous.¡± At the thought of how difficult pregnancy was for a woman, Pei Zhi couldn¡¯t help but frown. Although medicine was advanced now and difficultbor rarely happened, it did not mean that there would not be a risk. Lin Jiao could tell that he was worried and uneasy. She kissed the corner of his lips and said, ¡°Hubby, you have to stop smoking from now on.¡± Pei Zhi¡¯s hand that was about to grab a cigarette paused. He had been smoking for a long time. No matter how strong his willpower was, he could not quit for a day or two. ¡°Can I quit smoking step by step?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Lin Jiao pondered for a moment. ¡°Slowly reduce the amount of cigarettes you smoke. Start from three a day.¡± Pei Zhi naturally had no objections when it came to the baby¡¯s health. He even took the initiative to take the notes. He put down the iPad at ten o¡¯clock sharp and carried her to the bathroom. ¡°Honey, I think I should work harder.¡± ¡°It¡¯s useless to work hard now.¡± Lin Jiao red at him. How could she not know what he was thinking? However, she did not break free and allowed him to do what he wanted. ¡°How will you know if you don¡¯t let me try?¡± Pei Zhi ced her on the sink and moved his warm palm along the skin under her armpit. Under the dim light, two reflections on the wall ovepped, and a soul-stirring moan sounded. With his persistent efforts, he finally got Lin Jiao pregnant seven monthster. The moment he received the ultrasound scan, his heart seemed to have been knocked by something. Even his fingertips could not help but tremble. Overwhelmed by joy, he hugged her tightly in the crowded corridor. They looked at each other and saw the same emotions in each other¡¯s eyes. # It waste autumn again. The trees nted on Sycamore Street were filled with the smell of autumn. The warm sunlightnded on Sheng Heng Building and refracted mottled shadows through the branches. The little boy, who pressed his face against the French window, reached out his chubby hands to poke at the sunlight on the ss. His long and narrow eyes were like spring water, asionally stirred by the shadows cast by his eyshes, but he still had a faint smile on his face. ¡°Lingling.¡± After the video conference, Pei Zhi walked to his side and squatted down. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°The ne.¡± ¡°Where did the ne go?¡± ¡°Fly into the sky.¡± Pei Ling stood on his tiptoes and pointed into the sky in the distance. ... Afraid that he would fall, Pei Zhi wrapped his left hand around his back. He nced up. ¡°Do you want to take a ne?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Pei Ling hugged his neck and nodded like a chick pecking at rice. ¡°Daddy, I want to celebrate my birthday in the sky.¡± This Saturday was Pei Ling¡¯s second birthday. Pei Zhi originally wanted to hold a party for him, but seeing that he had his own thoughts, he decided to fulfill his wish. He called Lin Jiao. When she came to the President¡¯s office after finishing her work, he immediately put down Pei Ling and hugged her. ¡°Honey.¡± He rested his chin on her shoulder and started talking about the weekend trip. ¡°Where do you think we should go?¡± ¡°How¡¯s Nan City?¡± Lin Jiao looked into his eyes. ¡°The weather there is not bad. There¡¯s also a beach.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Seeing that she was interested in the beach, Pei Zhi naturally agreed. ¡°Then let¡¯s set off on Friday night?¡± ¡°Yay.¡± Pei Ling, who was sitting on the sofa, cheered excitedly. He counted the time seriously. His childish voice lingered in their ears, as clear as a bell, quietly relieving the fatigue brought about by work. ... Lin Jiao leaned into Pei Zhi¡¯s arms. Before she could look at Pei Ling, she was blocked by a face that was gradually approaching. The moment their breaths intertwined, Pei Ling, who was already used to it, walked to the other side silently with his toy. His ¡®tactfulness¡¯ made things easier for Pei Zhi. Pei Zhi held the back of Lin Jiao¡¯s head and deepened the kiss. Chapter 252 - 252 Deep Love (6) 252 Deep Love (6) After the sunset, they left Sheng Heng Building and ate dinner nearby before heading to the airport. This was Pei Ling¡¯s first time taking a ne. He skipped up the gangway and sized up his surroundings through the cabin door, curious and excited. He raised one of his short legs and struggled to climb onto the European-style sofa. He stared at the porthole and said, ¡°Mom, can I open it?¡± ¡°No.¡± Lin Jiao sat beside him and exined why he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Lingling, put on your seatbelt.¡± Pei Ling found the seatbelt from behind and slowly put it on before letting her check. He stuck his head out and looked out. His eyes, which were simr to Pei Zhi¡¯s, were filled with focus. ¡°When is the ne taking off?¡± ¡°Wait another five minutes.¡± Pei Zhi turned off the screen and asked the two bodyguards to rest in the back row. He observed Pei Ling¡¯s expression and was relieved to see that he was not ufortable when the ne took off. When the ne rose into the night sky and flew steadily, Pei Ling stood on the sofa and admired the lights below. For children, the moment closest to the clouds was worth remembering. They would keep this scene vividly in their hearts and minds. Regardless of whether he would remember it in the future, at least for now, his world was painted beautifully. ¡°It¡¯s dark outside.¡± Pei Ling looked away when the ne flew past the city area. ¡°Dad, I want to drink juice.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Pei Zhi asked the flight attendant to bring him juice. He nced at the watch on his wrist and took out the cake when it was a few minutes away from midnight. ¡°Lingling, put in the candles.¡± Pei Ling picked out two blue candles from the box and ced them on the cake. He watched as Pei Zhi lit the candle. Then, he pressed his palms together and made a birthday wish. ¡°Happy birthday to you¡­¡± Lin Jiao hummed the tune. A birthday song was ying on the stereo. Lin Jiao and Pei Zhi looked at him and hummed along to the melody. After the song ended, he blew out the candles. He sat down obediently and held a piece of cake with both hands. No matter how anxious he was to eat the cake, he still used the fork. Pei Zhi put down the cake te after taking a bite and pulled Lin Jiao into his arms. He stared at the cream stain on her lips, his eyes darkening in the dim light. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re seducing me again.¡± ¡°How am I seducing you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re licking the corner of your mouth.¡± Lin Jiao paused in the middle of raising her hand and subconsciously thought of the unequal post-marriage agreement. The agreement was originally drafted by her. The purpose of it was very simple, which was to restrain his desires. However, he changed itter. What left a deep impression on her was article 10. If Lin Jiao seduced Pei Zhi (including but not limited to licking her lips, twisting her waist, raising her leg, and wearing ace dress in front of Pei Zhi), Pei Zhi could choose his favorite venue twice. It was obvious what his favorite venue was. ¡°Lingling is going to sleep with us tonight.¡± Lin Jiao avoided his gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the bathroom.¡± Pei Zhi did not give her a chance to find an excuse and whispered into her ear, ¡°The bathtub in that hotel is not bad. You¡¯ll definitely like it.¡± His deep voice was filled with ambiguity, and his breath was irresistible. Lin Jiao did not say anything, as if she had agreed. Chapter 253 - 253 Deep Love (7) 253 Deep Love (7) The sea breeze blew past the white curtains and entered the room with the afternoon sun, waking up the person on the bed. Lin Jiao lifted the nket sleepily and looked out of the window at the source of the light. She walked out in her slippers and did not see the father and son. She pushed open the door andy down on the beach chair. Seagulls flew past her, their pleasant cries and the rolling waves of the sea forming a painting. If one admired it calmly, they would be able to feel the beauty given by nature and be healed. However, an untimely rumble reminded her that the most important thing now was to fill her stomach. Lin Jiao returned to the bedroom hungry. After finding her cell phone, she quickly called Pei Zhi. ¡°Hubby, where are you?¡± ¡°The beach on the right of the vi.¡± ¡°When will you be back? I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Right now.¡± Pei Zhi held the little boy who was still ying with the sand and rushed back to order food. The person in charge of managing the vi had already prepared the food. In less than fifteen minutes, the specialties of Nan City were pushed over by a dining car. Lin Jiao, who had a full meal,y on the sofa. Before she could fall asleep, Pei Ling pounced into her arms and said in a childish voice, ¡°Mom, let¡¯s go out and pick seashells!¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking an afternoon nap?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to sleep.¡± He just wanted to pick up a lot of small shells and make a beautiful ne for his mother. When Lin Jiao met his expectant and excited eyes, she could not bear to say so to him. She asked the bodyguards to buy two cups of iced coffee and walked to the beach with Pei Zhi. ¡°Honey.¡± Pei Zhi approached her while Pei Ling was digging sand. ¡°Do you still feel ufortable?¡± Sensing where he was looking, Lin Jiao blushed. She shook her head. ¡°Much better.¡± Pei Zhi smiled and tightened his grip on her. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you shy?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± ¡°Then why are you blushing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± Lin Jiao refused to admit it. She took a sip of coffee and looked at the jet ski not far away. She suddenly became interested. ¡°Hubby, do you know how to ride?¡± ¡°You want to ride?¡± ¡°Yes, but I never rode it before.¡± Pei Zhi dug two holes on the spot, put down the coffee, and led her over. He first washed the sand off his feet before stepping over the jet ski . ¡°Honey, let me try riding it first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Jiao sat on the ground and looked at the water sshing at the back of the jet ski. ¡°Be careful.¡± Pei Zhi did not ride too far. After confirming that it was safe enough, he came over with his back facing the light and reached out a hand to her. ¡°Daddy, I want to ride too!¡± Pei Ling ran over with a pile of shells. Pei Zhi brought him up onto the jet ski. With a baby who did not know how to swim, Pei Zhi had to slow down a lot. ¡°Hubby, let¡¯s go over there.¡± Lin Jiao stood up with one hand on his shoulder and pointed at two huge ck reefs. Pei Zhi followed her finger and went to the right. Pei Ling, who was in front, cheered. Lin Jiao leaned forward slightly and stroked his hair that was messed up by the sea breeze. Other than a gentle light in her eyes, there was also a gentle smile. Her smile made Pei Zhi dazed. It was as if he had returned to the day he first met her and fell for her. He kissed the corner of her lips and stared greedily at the eyes that were engraved in the depths of his soul. A family of three shed across the sea not far from the beach, apanying each other forever. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!