Pei Zhan walked up to Jiang Hua. Standing at 185 centimeters tall, his figure was imposing and majestic. The well-tailored, expensive suit he wore made it impossible for anyone to believe he was just an ordinary person without status or background. Having navigated the business world for so long, the innate intimidation he exuded was not something just anyone could possess. Someone like Pei Zhan seemed as though he was never meant to be ordinary—with his methods, the identity of a businessman seemed tailor-made for him.
Looking at the suit he wore, it was a gift from Jiang Hua. Even the tie at his collar was personally chosen by her. Jiang Hua’s taste had always been impeccable, except… when it came to men…
As Pei Zhan approached, his back to the light, he blocked Jiang Hua’s slender figure. Jiang Hua wasn’t particularly short, but in front of this man, she suddenly seemed small and vulnerable. Pei Zhan’s presence overshadowed everything around him.
The man waved his hand, and Zuo Xiangnan silently turned and left, giving them space.
“What are you here for? To lecture me for bullying your beloved woman?”
Just as Jiang Hua uttered these words, Pei Zhan suddenly crouched down in front of her. Without a hint of disgust, he picked up the discarded food from the floor with his hands and placed it back into the container…
A flicker of surprise crossed Jiang Hua’s eyes, and she took a step back.
Half a minute later, after finishing this task, Pei Zhan used his other clean hand to take out a light blue handkerchief embroidered with irises. He lowered his gaze and wiped his hands. “Hua Hua, don’t waste food.” When he raised his eyes to look at her, Jiang Hua caught a glimpse of the ruthless, unguarded sharpness in his gaze.
Jiang Hua inwardly mocked herself. This was the look—the look a true “Pei Zhan” should have.
“Pei Zhan, all these years of marriage and acting… aren’t you tired? Keep your Song Qingran in check from now on. Don’t let her appear in front of me again. You know my temper. If there’s a next time, I won’t hold back against her either.”
Jiang Hua slung her bag over her shoulder and forced herself to stay calm as she walked downstairs. At the corner where she was about to leave, she suddenly saw a figure running toward her from a distance.
Who else could it be but the ever-persistent Song Qingran!
Pei Zhan, who was also descending the stairs, saw her too. As he watched her running figure, his deep eyes narrowed imperceptibly before shifting his gaze back to Jiang Hua.
Song Qingran ran over, panting heavily. Without saying a word, she immediately shielded Jiang Hua behind her. With pleading eyes, she looked up at Pei Zhan standing on the stairs and begged desperately, “Pei Xiansheng, I beg you, don’t hurt her. I’ve already talked everything out with Senior Jiang. She’s promised me she won’t reveal our affair.”
Our affair?
Since when did Pei Zhan and Song Qingran become “us”?
Hearing these words from Song Qingran felt like countless needles piercing Jiang Hua’s heart.
Yes! They… were her and Pei Zhan.
They had openly acknowledged their loving relationship.
And what about her?
Pei Zhan… after all these years of marriage, what exactly do I mean to you?
When Song Qingran appears before us, have you ever personally given me an explanation?
Jiang Hua simply watched quietly, her gaze fixed on Pei Zhan standing above, who remained silent and offered no explanation. In this moment, Jiang Hua felt utterly and completely like an outsider.
His utterly cold, emotionless eyes completely severed the relationship between them.
Jiang Hua felt her entire heart sink into an icy abyss, with no way out left for her.
Suddenly, Jiang Hua felt an indescribable, stabbing pain in her heart.
Song Qingran… was the eternal heartache Jiang Hua could never rid herself of, even after two lifetimes of rebirth!
She had been married to Pei Zhan for nearly a full decade!
Pei Zhan had deceived her for ten years!
Before leaving, Jiang Hua said, “Pei Xiansheng and your girlfriend make a perfect match!”
Jiang Hua turned and walked away, not making a scene as she used to when there were other women around him.
Now, even though Jiang Hua’s heart had never truly let go, it felt like the withered leaves slowly falling beside her—once whole, now gradually decaying into the soil.
It was a bright, sunny day, yet Jiang Hua felt a chill throughout her body.
Her heart condition had flared up again.
With trembling hands, Jiang Hua took a small bottle of medicine from her bag, unscrewed the cap, and poured out a pill, nearly dropping it from her grasp…
“Well, if it isn’t Jiang Hua, the daughter of Di Du’s largest jewelry merchant! What are you taking?” Chen Baoer, followed by a group of her girlfriends, walked over with a laugh. Chen Baoer casually snatched the pill from Jiang Hua’s hand.
Clutching her chest, Jiang Hua suddenly felt something was wrong. She tried to reach out and take back her medicine, “Chen Baoer… give it…”
Before she could finish, Jiang Hua felt as if she hallucinated the sound of her heart pounding violently. Darkness instantly engulfed her vision, and she collapsed to the ground without warning.
“Jiang Hua…” Chen Baoer quickly crouched down to check on her. Seeing no response, Chen Baoer grew anxious, “Jiang Hua, I didn’t touch you! What’s wrong with you?”
“Wake up, Jiang Hua!”
“What did you do? Don’t scare me like this!”
Chen Baoer scolded the girls behind her, “What are you all standing around for? Hurry up and help her!”
A strong athlete following Chen Baoer quickly lifted Jiang Hua onto his back and carried her to the infirmary.
Chen Baoer handed the medicine bottle to a masked physician’s assistant, “Tell me what this medicine is.”
The male physician, around twenty years old, glanced at the English text on the bottle and furrowed his brow slightly.
Chen Baoer impatiently urged, “It’s all in English. I can’t read it. Don’t just stare at the bottle! Save her! Do you know who she is? If anything happens to her, I’m dead too.”
The handsome young physician’s assistant said nothing. Instead, he performed a series of checks on the unconscious patient. Only after confirming everything was fine did he pour out a pill from the bottle.
“She’s fine. Once she takes this medicine, she’ll wake up soon.”
“Let me do it.” Chen Baoer pulled the assistant aside, as if afraid he might take advantage of Jiang Hua.
With a less-than-gentle motion, Chen Baoer shoved the pill into Jiang Hua’s mouth, muttering, “Running into you is the worst luck I’ve had in eight lifetimes.”
After giving her the pill and some water…
Seeing Jiang Hua still unconscious, Chen Baoer grew frantic, “What’s going on? Why isn’t she awake yet?”
The doctor checked Jiang Hua’s pulse and said, “Don’t worry. She’s just asleep. It’ll take a little longer for her to wake up.”
A flicker of relief flashed in Chen Baoer’s eyes, but it vanished almost instantly, replaced by an expression of disdain.
“It’s fine, you scared me to death!”
Doctor: “Classmate, class is about to start soon, you should go back to class first. The patient… is fine.”
“Alright then!”
Chen Baoer picked up the limited-edition pearl bag she had placed nearby, glanced back with a hint of worry in her eyes, and then left.