That night, I didn't stay at Pei Shi Yu's house. The misunderstanding cleared, I felt particularly relaxed and my future seemed bright. I hummed as I walked into the elevator in the residential area. As the saying goes, a joyful event refreshes the spirit. That's exactly how I felt, and it was all thanks to Pei Shi Yu.

I parked my car directly in the residential area, pressed the remote to lock the doors, and looked down at my leather shoes. These shoes, bought in Italy, were very comfortable, and the leather was particularly soft. I stepped briskly on the path of the residential area, looked up at the sky, and saw the stars twinkling. It seemed like tomorrow would be another good day.

It was still early, so I didn't go upstairs immediately. I sat on the flower bed at the entrance of the building and lit a cigarette. I felt like the first half of my life had been submerged in all kinds of hardships, like drifting without a purpose. I hoped that with Pei Shi Yu's support, I could live a wonderful life from now on.

At this moment, my phone suddenly rang. It was Wang Rui. She might have been busy lately because we hadn't been in touch as much as before. I answered quickly and asked in a low voice, "Aren't you asleep yet?"

"I broke up with Li Rui," she told me without any preamble.

I was taken aback and said after a while, "What happened? Didn't you reconcile last time?"

"His family is a freak show. I don't want to continue dating him."

As far as I knew, Li Rui wasn't from this province. The last time we met, we had agreed that I would accompany her to meet Li Rui's parents. How did things go sour in just a few days?

"Parents are parents. You'll be living with Li Rui in the future."

"His parents bought a house in their county and insisted that I go there with Li Rui to develop my career. Do you think that's possible?"

"Really?" I responded instinctively.

"They're very persistent. We officially broke up tonight. That's impossible, and I'm not used to it."

"That request is indeed quite harsh. Didn't Li Rui express his own thoughts?"

"His mother is very assertive. Let him be a filial son."

I thought for a moment and said, "Didn't Li Rui make it clear when he started dating you? Why bother looking for a girlfriend if he was going back to his hometown?"

"That's what I'm angry about. I wanted to break up completely last time, but I wanted to give him one more chance."

"If that's the case, I'm on your side."

"So, I'm single again. My dad mentioned yesterday that I could get married."

"Don't rush. Marriage is a lifetime commitment."

"That's the nicest thing you've said today. What are you doing?" Wang Rui's voice sounded touched.

"I just got home and I'm sitting downstairs in my building."

"I feel particularly bad. The more I think about getting married early, the more frustrated I get."

"Everything is difficult at the beginning. There's always one that's right for you."

"Everything is hard at the beginning. This time, it's a real waste of feelings."

Wang Rui was right. Dating should start with understanding each other. These past few months have been a waste of time, and it's rare for Wang Rui to settle down.

I was silent for a while and then told Wang Rui, "Pei Shi Yu is pregnant. Our wedding may be brought forward."

"Ah, really?"

"Really. We went to the hospital together for a check-up today. I'm in a particularly good mood now. Her dad wants me to work at their company."

"Congratulations."

"Aren't you upset?" I asked cautiously.

"No, I'm not that petty. You Xiang will be back soon too, but I'm a little awkward being in the middle."

"Take your time. We'll protect you. If you really can't get married, You Xiang and I will take care of you in your old age."

"Go away, don't say such discouraging things. I'm happy being single, but Li Rui, that bastard, wasted my remaining youth."

"You have a long youth ahead of you..."

Wang Rui interrupted, "Pei Shi Yu is about to be a mother."

"You don't have to compare yourself to us. When love comes, you can't stop it."

"I'm still outside. I don't know how to tell my dad when I get home."

"Tell him the truth. There's nothing to hide."

"You don't understand. Didn't he disagree at first? I confidently assured him that I was serious about Li Rui."

"Do you want to come to my house?" I invited.

"No."

"Then go home early. A breakup is not a big deal."

"It's not that I'm sad about the breakup, it's just that the thing I was secretly working towards has suddenly fallen through."

"I understand what you mean."

"I'm hanging up. Don't tell Mom yet. She'll know if my dad knows."

"Got it."

I understood Wang Rui's feelings. It wasn't that she had a deep affection for Li Rui, but she felt like she had been played. Maybe the person she was secretly competing with was us. With Wang Rui's conditions, it was an insult to herself to be with Li Rui. Now that things had turned out like this, she might feel very embarrassed.

After ending the call with Wang Rui, I went upstairs. Wang Rui's disappointment and my good mood were in stark contrast. For me, I not only had love, but in the near future, I would also welcome my own child. Everything was filled with joyful anticipation.

That night, I didn't sleep peacefully, having all sorts of strange dreams. In my dreams, I saw my child, a girl who looked like me. Pei Shi Yu lovingly held her in her arms and gave her the nickname Xiao Feng, saying it was named after Xiao Long, one dragon and one phoenix. In my dream, I even laughed at her for being tacky.

Then I dreamed about our wedding. Pei Xiang Long walked towards me with a smiling Pei Shi Yu, then handed Pei Shi Yu to me and patted my shoulder with great trust.

I slept for a long time and woke up with a smile. When I opened my eyes, I saw only the white chandelier and the sunlight quietly seeping in from the window. All that was left was a tired body. I also realized that a new day had begun. I yawned and then closed my eyes again, seemingly unwilling to wake up from the beautiful dream. In the long dream, there was the joy of being a father for the first time and the happiness of becoming Pei Shi Yu's husband. The combination of these two was enough for me to savor for the whole day.

Then I fell asleep again. This time I slept very peacefully... When I woke up again, it was because Pei Shi Yu's phone call woke me up. I picked up the still vibrating phone, first looked at the time, ten o'clock, and quickly answered, "Hello!"

Perhaps my voice was a little hoarse, Pei Shi Yu asked in surprise, "Are you still sleeping?"

"Yes, I woke up in the morning and fell asleep again."

"Are you resting at home today?"

"That's the plan."

"I invited Shen Yi and the foreigner for dinner tonight. Can you go to the hotel and book a seat?"

"Sure, I'll get up and go in a while."

"Call Wang Rui too. It'll be more lively with more people."

"Isn't it about business?"

"The business will be discussed during the day. Tonight is just dinner."

"Okay, Wang Rui just broke up. She called me last night to complain. I'll ask her to come out for a gathering today."

"I'm not interested in personal matters. Just take care of the things I told you to do."

"Got it."

Pei Shi Yu hung up the phone very quickly. I still wanted to say something, but there was no sound from her side.