When Pei Kexin appeared, Yao Dongzhuo, who was still on the phone, hung up immediately.
He walked towards her with a casual gait and a smile.
Yao Dongzhuo had been looking forward to this reunion since their last inconclusive parting.
"It has indeed been a long time. I didn't expect to run into you here today. Miss Pei, are you well?"
Pei Kexin waved the flowers in her hand at him. "Thanks to you, I'm fine."
"When we parted last time, you said you'd call me when you had time. Miss Pei, you're so busy, you've kept me waiting."
Pei Kexin glanced at the waiter, who had been listening in a daze and finally came to his senses and walked away.
She smiled again and said, "Mr. Yao, you're quite the joker."
"You're swamped with work, handling countless important matters every day. How could you possibly have time to wait for my call? Thank you for the flowers and wine today. Knowing you're busy, I won't bother you now. I'll find an opportunity to treat you to a meal later."
Yao Dongzhuo looked at the flowers in her hand with a hint of bewilderment.
"Thank you? You think I'd send something so vulgar and cheap? Miss Pei, have you mistaken the recipient?"
The flowers were procured by the club on the spot, and they were certainly not of a high-class variety, but it wasn't so bad that one would refuse to acknowledge them.
Pei Kexin quickly realized.
Since Yao Dongzhuo hadn't seized the opportunity to claim the favor, it meant the good deed wasn't his doing.
And yet, it was done in his name...
Jiang Jingchen, who lived by his wits, truly had some skills.
"It wasn't from Mr. Yao? Then I must have made a mistake."
"A waiter came all this way, saying a Mr. Yao was showing me favor. My mind went blank, and I immediately thought of you. My apologies for making a fool of myself."
She transferred the flowers and placed them on the trash can in the corridor.
"Since it was from an anonymous Mr. Yao, I don't need to take them back... Mr. Yao, do you need anything else?"
Yao Dongzhuo appreciated her drawing a clear line with other men.
As it was still early and both were free, he said, "Didn't you say you'd treat me to a meal when you had time? We can do it now. Miss Pei, my private room is right here. Please."
Pei Kexin hadn't expected him to be so eager. "But I saw you just now..."
Yao Dongzhuo, with his uncalled-for sweetness, replied, "Is there anything more important in this world than dining with Miss Pei?"
Pei Kexin had just escaped a wolf's den and had no desire to deal with a tiger.
Moreover, Fu Duoduo was waiting for her downstairs.
"...Mr. Yao, you're a master of romance. I can't handle such words from you."
"Miss Pei means you're a novice in matters of the heart?"
"Mr. Yao, you don't often chat with ladies like this, do you?"
Yao Dongzhuo enjoyed talking to intelligent people, especially beautiful and intelligent women.
"Certainly not. Not everyone is worth it. Miss Pei is an exception."
Pei Kexin: "...It's best not to define things too early, Mr. Yao. You haven't truly gotten to know me. After a few genuine interactions, no man has been willing to see me as a woman."
Pei Kexin was quite humorous, and Yao Dongzhuo couldn't help but laugh.
"Can I interpret your words as conveying that very few men can conquer you, and you've never had a chance at romance before?"
How did men become so confident these days?
From the lofty Yao Dongzhuo to the glib Jiang Jingchen, and even the indecisive Pei Zongrui in between, they all seemed to believe they were incredibly charming and exuded confidence in front of women.
It was truly exasperating.
Seeing his happy laughter, Pei Kexin also smiled.
"The answers to reading comprehension have always varied from person to person. If Mr. Yao insists on this interpretation, I wouldn't dare say he's wrong."
"Mr. Yao, you have keen eyes and ears. You should know that our family has a major event to handle today, making it inconvenient to socialize outside. Once things are settled, I will definitely treat you to a meal. Could Mr. Yao forgive my lack of etiquette once more?"
Yao Dongzhuo's smile faded.
"I've heard a bit about the Pei family's affairs. I was originally concerned that Miss Pei might be too heartbroken and intended to visit personally to offer my condolences, but now it seems..."
"Leave your phone number. This is the first time in my life that I, Yao Dongzhuo, have pursued a woman for her contact information repeatedly... There's no one I can't befriend."
Pei Kexin had long heard of Yao Dongzhuo's notorious reputation for being ruthless in his dealings with people and matters.
However, after two encounters, she found him to be quite tolerant towards her. Pei Kexin understood the wisdom of knowing when to stop.
She took out her phone and voluntarily opened the dialer.
"It was my oversight. Every time I see Mr. Yao, I'm occupied with something, neglecting basic social etiquette. I'm truly sorry. I'll leave my number now. Please, Mr. Yao, enter it yourself. When I have time in the future, I will definitely call you."
Yao Dongzhuo took her phone with two elegant fingers, twirled it in his palm, and entered the number with one hand.
"Those whose names appear in my phone are no ordinary people. I offer my sincere heart to the bright moon; Miss Pei, please do not break my heart."
Pei Kexin was sincere. "I wouldn't dare."
After entering his own number, Yao Dongzhuo made a call and then returned the phone to Pei Kexin.
"I believe there's nothing you, Pei Kexin, wouldn't dare to do. You dared to distance yourself from me to my face, and who knows how you look down on me behind my back. But I've decided to befriend you."
"I'll give you three days to handle your family matters. If I don't receive your call after three days, Miss Pei..."
Pei Kexin finally went downstairs.
Fu Duoduo, sitting in the lounge area, was anxiously looking out for her. The moment she saw Pei Kexin's figure emerge from the elevator, she rushed towards her like an arrow released from a bow.
"Oh my god, you're finally down! What happened, what happened? Did you completely defeat Pei Zongrui?"
Pei Kexin felt drained and linked her arm with Fu Duoduo's. "It's a long story. Let's go out first, and we can talk on the way."
As they walked out together, Fu Duoduo was eager to share.
"Guess who I saw here? By the way, where's your husband? Why haven't I seen him today?"
Pei Kexin was unaware of Jiang Jingchen's background and only knew that he had extorted her in Harbin and that she now disliked him intensely.
"It's normal not to see him. He's not my real husband, so please don't mention him to me anymore."
"The elder has passed away, and our relationship is over. From now on, we'll be strangers if we meet again. But if you want to make a move, you can now."
Fu Duoduo: "..."
That night, Pei Kexin stayed at Fu Duoduo's place.
The next day, due to the establishment of a new company and many matters to attend to, the scheduled appointment could not be missed, and Fu Duoduo woke up to go to work.
Pei Kexin no longer had a position, and she couldn't return to the Pei family. With nothing to do, she lay on the bed, lost in thought.
From the first moment she saw the elder as a child, to her experiences in the Pei family, and then as she grew up, the elder's care and guidance throughout the years...
The more she reminisced, the more she felt the elder had treated her well; the more she recalled, the more heartbroken she felt; the more she remembered, the more pitiful she felt.
Just as she was lost in thought, feeling so distressed that she wanted to cry, her phone on the bedside table suddenly rang.
She listlessly grabbed it and swiped the screen casually. "Hello."
"Vice President Pei."
"Jiang Jingchen?"