After Pei Chunrun and Shen Xiying settled on a time, he tossed his phone aside.
Once woken up, he couldn’t get back to sleep.
Back then, when he was at the end of his rope, he had run into Shang Ruzhou.
Shang Ruzhou had given him a sum of money—an amount that seemed pitifully small to him now.
But to him at that time, it was a lifeline.
If not for Shang Ruzhou, there would be no him today.
So no matter what Shang Ruzhou needed, he would do everything in his power to accomplish it.
He wouldn’t dare claim to know Shang Ruzhou deeply, but over all these years, he had always felt that Shang Ruzhou was cold by nature.
With an innate wildness and unruliness running through his bones, Pei Chunrun found it hard to imagine someone like that getting married.
Unless it was true love.
So he had proactively offered to have Shang Ruzhou simply send him the address for tomorrow’s meeting.
That way, he wouldn’t have to contact Shen Xiying privately.
But unexpectedly, Shang Ruzhou didn’t mind at all.
Pei Chunrun finally understood—Shang Ruzhou was still Shang Ruzhou.
Still indifferent to his core.
No wonder no one knew about the marriage.
After all, when you don’t truly care or love someone, why would there be any need to announce it?
The next day, Shen Xiying went to the agreed-upon café.
Pei Chunrun was already seated.
Shen Xiying hurried over and pulled out a chair to sit down.
Pei Chunrun was different from what she had heard. Rumors said he was very stern, that sitting with him felt like sitting on pins and needles.
But Shen Xiying felt Pei Chunrun looked quite kind.
Especially since he had a smile on his face the whole time, and his overall aura was gentle.
“Teacher Pei, hello. My name is Shen Xiying,” she said.
Pei Chunrun nodded and said with a smile, “Hello.”
“So, I came today to discuss a collaboration with you,” Shen Xiying said, pulling a contract out of her backpack.
She slid it across to Pei Chunrun.
Pei Chunrun took it, glanced at it, and furrowed his brow. “Another jewelry collaboration?”
Shen Xiying nodded.
“To be honest, President Shang has always been a benefactor to me. Anything I can help with, I should. Miss Shen, as his wife, by all rights I should help you too.”
Pei Chunrun paused briefly, weighing his words, then continued, “But this kind of jewelry collaboration, I really can’t do.”
Shen Xiying looked at Pei Chunrun and smiled. “I understand your concerns. Why don’t you take a look at this contract?”
“I know several jewelry companies have approached you before, and you turned them all down.”
Shen Xiying spoke in a calm tone. “But Fuying is different, because Fuying will truly value you. The craft you’ve inherited isn’t just an empty shell—we’ll bring one hundred percent sincerity to the public. Because Fuying’s positioning has never been high-end luxury, but rather for everyone.”
Shen Xiying spoke slowly, each word deliberate, gentle yet carrying a sense of strength.
Listening to her, Pei Chunrun looked up at her.
Her features were clean, her expression carrying a hint of liveliness, yet there was also an inexplicable ability to put people at ease.
Pei Chunrun averted his gaze and looked down at the contract before him.
At first, he had thought it was child’s play.
But as he read through the contract, Pei Chunrun’s casual demeanor gradually faded.
He uncrossed his legs and straightened his back.
Shen Xiying.
She had something to her.
Shen Xiying and Pei Chunrun ironed out the details, and the contract was signed three days later.
To make things more convenient for Pei Chunrun, Shen Xiying even prepared a studio for him.
She also assigned him several assistants.
Once everything was fully settled, Shen Xiying felt much more at ease.
The Fuying and intangible cultural heritage collaboration began its pre-launch promotion three days later, and the results were within expectations.
Everything was going smoothly.
Two weeks later, Shen Xiying received an invitation.
She opened it and saw it was Lin Muyi’s birthday banquet.
She glanced at it, initially about to toss the invitation straight into the trash, but then remembered that they were still in a cooperative relationship with the Lin family.
So she put the invitation away and set it on the table.
After thinking for a moment, she made a video call to Meng Zhiqing.
The call connected quickly, and Meng Zhiqing’s exquisitely made-up face appeared on the screen: “Queen Yingying, what instructions do you have? Or are you just simply missing me?”
Shen Xiying laughed as she looked at her. “Of course I’m simply missing you! Where are you right now?”
“Ugh, don’t even mention it. I’ve been abroad these past couple of days. My parents have been bewitched by that old man, and they’re insisting I marry him. There’s no way I’m doing it!”
Meng Zhiqing complained, leaning back against her chair as she casually picked up a wine glass from the table and took a sip.
After a light sip, she raised the glass and splashed the entire contents of the wine-red liquid onto the male waiter standing beside her.
The young man hadn’t expected it and let out a soft gasp: “Sister.”
He was wearing only a somewhat sheer shirt, and as the wine soaked it, the fabric clung to his skin, outlining the perfect lines of his muscles.
Meng Zhiqing raised an eyebrow, acknowledged him with a hum, and reached out to touch.
Then, she smirked at Shen Xiying through the video and chuckled, “Yingying, do you like this one? When I come back to the country, I’ll bring you a couple.”
Shen Xiying held the phone, completely stunned.
On the screen, all she could see was the guy’s faintly visible abs and nearly perfect muscle lines.
She couldn’t see his face.
Even so, Shen Xiying’s entire face was flushed red.
Almost instinctively, she said, “I’m married!”
“So what?” Meng Zhiqing pouted and lightly traced her index finger across the guy’s abs beside her.
The guy instinctively bent over slightly, letting out a low breath, his voice tinged with allure: “Sister.”
His voice was soft, carrying a hint of tingling sweetness as it fell into one’s ears.
Meng Zhiqing looked at Shen Xiying, whose entire face was red in the video, and couldn’t help but laugh: “Yingying, does your husband moan this well?”
“Meng, Zhi, Qing!” Shen Xiying’s pitch shot up several notches instantly.
“Alright, alright, just teasing you.” Meng Zhiqing said with a laugh.
Then she waved her hand, signaling the waiter nearby to leave.
“What’s up with the video call?” Meng Zhiqing asked.
“Nothing much, I was just about to ask if you’re going to the Lin family’s birthday banquet.”
“I’m not planning to return to the country anytime soon. The moment I go back, my parents will push me to marry that old man.”
As Meng Zhiqing said this, she let out a soft sigh.
The topic was unpleasant to discuss, so Meng Zhiqing didn’t dwell on it and switched to another subject.
“Queen Yingying, how far have you and Shang Ruzhou gotten?”
Hearing Meng Zhiqing’s words, Shen Xiying also sighed.
Listlessly, she raised a hand to prop up her head, her brows drooping as she looked at the phone.
“No progress at all.”
“Ah.” Meng Zhiqing frowned. “You’re so cute, so pretty, so eye-catching. After all these days, hasn’t Shang Ruzhou been moved at all? Is his heart made of stone?”
If Meng Zhiqing hadn’t said anything, it might have been fine, but once she did, Shen Xiying instantly slumped in defeat.
She flopped directly onto the table, her tone listless: “Right, why hasn’t he been moved? Is his heart made of stone?”
“I’m so great, why won’t he even look at me?”
Shen Xiying murmured softly.