Chapter 1 Pei Shi Yu's Return

Pei Shi Yu didn't return until a week later.

It was midnight, and I was sitting on a bench in the airport lounge. Her flight had been delayed, and I'd been waiting since ten o'clock.

Now, I watched flights arrive one after another, sending off waves of passengers. The noisy hall had finally quieted down.

I stared at the electronic screen. Suddenly, the English announcement finally came for the flight from Hong Kong. I immediately stood up and stretched my muscles. I'd been feeling quite tired lately. Joining the company wasn't as easy as I'd imagined. There was so much to learn, and I was spending almost every day adjusting.

The first person to come out wasn't Pei Shi Yu, as I'd hoped, but a very old man. As soon as he appeared, people rushed to greet him. A dozen or so people, like me, were there to pick them up. They all left, but I still didn't see Pei Shi Yu.

A little anxious, I peered toward the exit. Finally, among the last group of people, I spotted Pei Shi Yu.

She was mixed in with a group of four or five people, pulling a suitcase. When she saw me, she calmly raised her other hand and waved. She was wearing wide-leg pants today, with a coat casually draped over her wrist. She looked very relaxed.

I went to meet her and took the suitcase. Pei Shi Yu yawned and asked, "Did you wait long?"

I deliberately looked at the time and replied, "Only two hours."

"Then next time it will be four hours," Pei Shi Yu said with a smile.

I took her hand, turned my face to her, and asked, "Do you know who was the first person to come out from your flight?"

"How would I know? Who was it?" Pei Shi Yu asked curiously.

"A man in his seventies."

"What does that mean? Are you saying I'm slow?"

"Not slow, just that I was eagerly waiting to see you, only to be disappointed and have to wait until the very end."

"I fell asleep, so I was slow getting off."

"I felt particularly sleepy today. I just wanted to close my eyes and rest, but I ended up falling asleep," Pei Shi Yu added.

"I've been very tired these past few days too."

"How are you adjusting to work? Is my dad unhappy with you?"

"I don't know if your dad is happy with me, but I definitely can't adjust to the work for now."

"Take your time. It's only been a few days. You can't adjust so quickly."

There weren't many cars left in the parking lot. I immediately saw my own car, pressed the remote, and an echo resounded through the empty parking lot.

After getting into the car, I started the engine and asked, "Did you take a taxi when you arrived?"

"I came with Shen Yi."

I suddenly remembered Wang Rui's sour words and asked casually, "Are he and Wang Rui dating?"

"We cooperate on business matters. As for personal matters, I don't randomly ask."

Pei Shi Yu's answer was both sensitive and firm. I couldn't ask her about anything that happened abroad, even indirectly, because she'd cut off the conversation.

I had to change the subject and ask, "Are you hungry? Do you want to get some late-night snacks?"

"I don't want to eat. I'm so sleepy. I want to go home and sleep for a whole day."

"Didn't you say you'd only stay for half a day before coming back?"

"A lot of things came up..."

Pei Shi Yu yawned, looking sleepy. I immediately sped up. The roads at night were usually clear, but today the drive was particularly smooth. It seemed as if the traffic lights had been specially adjusted for me. I passed through six green lights in a row. I turned to look at Pei Shi Yu and found her eyes were closed. She seemed to have fallen asleep.

I hadn't been sleepy originally, but looking at her, I instinctively yawned as well. It was already late at night. Although the city's neon lights were still dazzling, it was time to rest.

The car drove into the residential area, but Pei Shi Yu didn't wake up. I shook her gently, and she immediately opened her eyes and looked outside the car window…

"We're already downstairs at your place. Hurry up and go up."

"I don't want to move," Pei Shi Yu said slowly, sitting up straight.

"Want me to carry you upstairs?" I asked suddenly, my hormones surging.

Pei Shi Yu didn't answer directly, but immediately opened her arms in agreement. I quickly went around to the passenger side.

This was the first time I'd carried Pei Shi Yu. I felt that she'd lost a lot of weight recently. It wasn't hard at all to carry her on my back.

"Have you lost weight?" I asked as I walked forward slowly.

"I've lost about seven or eight pounds."

"It's not easy to make money. Let's get married sooner rather than later," I said suddenly with emotion.

"If we get married, will you support me?"

"Supporting you is easy, supporting the company is hard. Actually, the life I want is very simple. I want to take over the stone company and do my best to manage it well. You, on the other hand, don't have to work. Just stay at home and take care of the family. That's the future I long for."

"But you're marrying me, so that's basically impossible. The general situation will only make us more exhausted, including you. In the future, we'll contribute our strength to the company together. We have to persevere, no matter how hard it gets," Pei Shi Yu said with rare emotion.

"Let's work hard together."

I suddenly started jogging with Pei Shi Yu on my back. The night was beautiful, and the moon hanging in the sky seemed to understand our prayers, following our footsteps all the way.

Before entering the door, I deliberately checked the time. It was already one o'clock, but the lights inside were still on. When we went in, we saw that Pei Xiang Long wasn't asleep yet. I asked curiously, "Dad, why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I woke up. Wasn't the flight supposed to arrive at ten o'clock?"

"It was delayed for two hours," Pei Shi Yu replied first.

Pei Xiang Long frowned as he looked at us, because Pei Shi Yu was still on my back. It seemed we'd both forgotten about that. Just as I was about to put her down, Pei Xiang Long spoke first, "Hurry up and get down."

"Didn't you say you'd treat her well?" I joked with him.

"You have to show affection in the right place. Do you think it's appropriate in front of elders?"

"Were you waiting for us on purpose?" Pei Shi Yu asked her dad.

"You didn't answer your phone. You could have been home by eleven, but you didn't arrive until one in the morning. You couldn't even bother to call."

Pei Xiang Long complained.

After listening, Pei Shi Yu immediately took out her phone from her bag and said, "I forgot to turn it on. I'm not a child. There's nothing to worry about."

"Go to bed early," Pei Xiang Long said, then turned and went into his room.

Pei Xiang Long's worry was understandable, especially after recently experiencing misfortune. We had indeed overlooked that. Pei Shi Yu seemed to realize it too. Her eyes were fixed on the bedroom door, and her expression instantly became gentle.

I went over and gently embraced her, then lowered my head and kissed Pei Shi Yu's lips and said, "Go take a shower first."

"And then?" Pei Shi Yu asked with a double meaning.

"And then it's time for what adults do."

After I finished speaking, I deliberately flexed my arm muscles. Amidst laughter, I gently pushed her into the bathroom.