To have peace and quiet from now on, Pei Kexin had no choice but to accept the situation.
She kicked him again, coldly shaking his hand away.
"Let go. I'll give you money."
He had been so adamant about not agreeing just moments ago, and now his mind had changed in an instant?
Zhan Jingchen smiled and confirmed with her, "Really?"
"Really."
"Didn't you say you didn't have money late at night?"
"I'll write you an IOU. It won't be less than what you're owed. Let go."
Zhan Jingchen could only release her, getting the benefit and then complaining.
"My taste is truly excellent. I can marry such a wealthy wife just by walking down the street. I have discerning eyes."
Pei Kexin gave him a disdainful sideways glance and sat back down, clutching her bathrobe.
As soon as money was mentioned, she regained her commanding presence, sitting there proudly.
"Find me paper and a pen. I'll write you an IOU. I didn't bring my checkbook or seal, so I can't write a check."
Zhan Jingchen gave her a look that said, "I'm just going to watch you act."
"You're not planning to write a blank IOU, are you? Pretend to write something, and then find another excuse to fool me with a blank note?"
Pei Kexin said coldly, "What excuse do I need? If I don't have ink, I can use lipstick. If that's not enough, I can cut your hand and squeeze out a couple of drops of blood for a fingerprint. I wouldn't play mind games with you over a mere fifty thousand. Besides, as long as I can sever ties with someone like you, I wouldn't hesitate to spend five million, or even five hundred million."
"..." Zhan Jingchen was successfully taken aback.
"Vice President Pei, you are mighty. Since you're so generous, I'm relieved."
The hotel had paper and pens, and she had lipstick in her bag. Zhan Jingchen went to fetch the items, and Pei Kexin began to write.
IOU
On x date, at x time, in a hotel in Harbin City, Ms. Pei Kexin owes Mr. Jiang Jingchen RMB fifty thousand yuan for the copyright of her drunken video.
After friendly negotiation, Ms. Pei Kexin promises to pay Mr. Jiang Jingchen the full amount within one week, by x date at x time.
This is to certify. As proof.
Debtor: Pei Kexin
x date, x time
After writing, she opened her lipstick, applied it to her thumb, and pressed her fingerprint. She pushed the IOU towards Jiang Jingchen.
"Can the video be deleted now?"
Zhan Jingchen hadn't expected her to be so straightforward.
Fifty thousand yuan was no small sum, and she had actually written an IOU so readily.
His original intention was just to tease her, but now...
He opened his phone, flipped through his album, and found the two videos.
"We did sleep together just now, but it was purely sleeping. Nothing else happened. I was joking. So I did record a video, but it's not what you think. See, consider it a lesson for yourself. Don't drink so much in the future. Delete it after you watch."
Things were different after getting the IOU.
Look at this attitude, a complete 180-degree turn.
Pei Kexin gritted her teeth and took his phone, then opened the video.
"I'm so thirsty, sob sob, I want ice cream... Gu Wei, my life is so bitter. You won't even buy me ice cream. Are you still my good sister..."
Pei Kexin stared at the disheveled woman in the video, tears streaming down her face, for two seconds, her pupils suddenly widening.
"This... the lunatic in the video..."
"Jiang Jingchen, you... Since I've agreed to pay you, you must keep what happened today buried!"
Zhan Jingchen had long anticipated her reaction.
"I can promise not to say anything, but you'd better not get drunk again. With your behavior when drunk, you might slip up sooner or later."
"..." Pei Kexin scrolled through his album.
"You didn't back it up, did you? Are you sure it's all gone after deleting it here? No funny business!"
Zhan Jingchen wasn't that shameless. What good would keeping such a thing do him?
"It's gone. Don't worry, I'd find it embarrassing if videos of me acting like a drunkard were leaked."
His album was simple, with only a few pictures he looked at repeatedly. Pei Kexin returned the phone to him.
"I'll trust you for now. If anything I don't want to see gets out in the future, I'll throw my face away and won't forgive you."
Zhan Jingchen raised his hands in surrender, "I wouldn't dare. Don't worry, you're a big shot. I'm just an ant. Once I have the money, that's all that matters. I wouldn't dare provoke you."
Pei Kexin finally heard something satisfactory and couldn't be bothered with him anymore. She got up to leave.
"Given that you've come here and at least helped me, I'll let you stay until morning."
"Leave immediately with your things after dawn. Other accounts will be settled by Gu Wei when we return to Nancheng. We'll go our separate ways from now on, and I never want to see you again."
Zhan Jingchen took another nap on the sofa. At dawn, Pei Kexin kicked him out.
Thinking that his work here was almost finished and he would see her again in Nancheng anyway, he left first.
For the next two days, Pei Kexin managed the remaining work alone, consolidated relationships with clients, and only returned after restoring her reputation.
After changing planes and flights, she landed in Nancheng after a day of travel.
Upon landing, she turned on her phone. Less than a minute after walking out with her suitcase, her phone buzzed with dozens of messages.
She glanced at them. Most were from her assistant, and Pei Kexin realized something was wrong.
She didn't read the messages first but immediately called back. Her assistant answered instantly.
"President Pei, your phone is finally on!"
Pei Kexin: "You're calling me non-stop knowing I'm returning today? What's wrong?"
Assistant: "Have you arrived? I'm waiting at the exit! Let's talk when we meet."
Pei Kexin hung up and quickened her pace towards the exit.
A familiar figure soon appeared. The assistant took her suitcase while observing her expression.
"Let's go straight to the hospital. Regarding Chairman Pei... President Pei, please don't worry."
Pei Kexin stopped abruptly.
The surrounding crowd made her sudden pause seem particularly abrupt.
Her sunglasses covered part of her face, making her expression unreadable. Her red lips parted slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Assistant: "..."
"What happened to Chairman Pei?"
"..."
The assistant's panic, unable to speak, explained everything.
Even if Pei Kexin found it hard to believe, she had to accept the reality now.
"But he was still caring about me a few days ago, sending people to look after me in Harbin... He had gotten better..."
"They said it was a sudden cerebral hemorrhage."
Pei Kexin took off her sunglasses and finally took a step forward again.
Her gaze was firm, her expression cold, showing no vulnerability. The assistant breathed a sigh of relief.
"The finance department's President Pei also called you. He couldn't get through and seemed a bit angry..."
"My elder brother?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't he know I'm on a business trip? Is he taking it out on you?"
"...President Pei, it's a sensitive time now. Let's not confront him. Let's talk things through calmly."
Pei Kexin understood. Her elder brother must have been quite angry behind her back.
Perhaps Pei Zongrui had returned early and said something to him about her.
Alas, the storm that was bound to come seemed unavoidable.