Macchiato was indeed sweet, but I couldn’t taste the flavor of romance in it. I only felt that I was like bitter black coffee, while Wei Lan resembled the sweet macchiato.
Occasionally glancing at her, I mentally calculated the time when she would meet Pei Heng the day after tomorrow.
The A City Summit would begin at 9:30 AM. As a part-time greeter, Wei Lan would be waiting early at the entrance of the conference hall. Pei Heng would see her as he entered, struck by Cupid’s arrow.
“Wei Lan, would you like to try another part-time job? I can recommend you for a tutoring position that starts tomorrow with good pay,” I asked softly while she was clearing tables nearby.
Wei Lan gave me a grateful smile but declined. “Xu Jie, thank you for thinking of me, but my classes start in a few days. After this temporary greeting job the day after tomorrow, I need to return to school for registration.”
I was taken aback—it seemed school was indeed starting soon.
I was too late. Had I spoken up a few days earlier, I might have truly prevented Wei Lan from appearing before Pei Heng.
Yet I felt resigned. Given the fate between Pei Heng and Wei Lan, even if I stopped this encounter, I couldn’t prevent the second, the third…
“Don’t mention it, it was just a sudden thought,” I said, taking another sip of coffee with a smile. “So you’re quitting here too?”
“Yes, I won’t have time once school starts.” Wei Lan glanced around, seeming somewhat reluctant, then flashed me a playful smile. “Xu Jie, I’ll miss you.”
I felt somewhat awkward. If Wei Lan knew the whole story, she’d probably avoid me like the plague.
Just then, another customer arrived. As Wei Lan went to attend to them, I breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, settled the bill, and left.
From now on, I probably wouldn’t need to come to this affordable coffee shop again.
The gears of fate had already begun turning. Watching everything about to unfold from the sidelines wouldn’t be any easier for me than in my previous life.
From what happened with Yu Yifan, I realized the butterfly effect was powerful. Certain things were bound to change, and I needed to face them.
These past two days, with my in-laws at home, Pei Heng returned for lunch and dinner every day, sharing a bed with me.
Unlike his calm composure, my heart grew increasingly uneasy.
“What time are you going to the summit tomorrow?” I asked quietly.
“Eight o’clock,” Pei Heng replied, eyes closed as he feigned sleep, his voice indifferent.
“Can you bring family members?” I really wanted to witness that legendary moment firsthand. After all, the love story between Pei Heng and Wei Lan had gone viral online in my previous life.
Pei Heng glanced at me sideways, his dark pupils holding a trace of mockery. “Family members? You?”
I blinked. “Legally speaking, yes.”
Of course, such business summits allowed partners or assistants. Many entrepreneurs attended with their spouses, and given my father’s status, my presence would be justifiable.
But Pei Heng didn’t see it that way. He sneered, “Wishful thinking, isn’t it?”
I turned over, staring directly at Pei Heng’s profile. His facial contours were strikingly sharp and refined, especially the perfect transition from his nose bridge to his brow bone. How could such a handsome and wealthy man eventually be captivated by an ordinary girl?
It really had the flavor of Cinderella and the prince.
“If you don’t take me, I’ll go tell your father and have him bring me instead,” I spoke up again, this time with a threat.
My father-in-law would surely wonder why Pei Heng wasn’t taking me himself, and then he’d question whether Pei Heng was treating me poorly.
Sure enough, this tactic proved highly effective, though the look Pei Heng gave me was positively venomous. “Get up at eight tomorrow. If you’re even a minute late, I won’t wait for you.”
“Fine, I’ll get up at seven-thirty. I need time to do my makeup too,” I said, flashing Pei Heng a cheerful smile.
I’d even thought ahead—I wanted to learn more about how Pei Heng and Wei Lan’s relationship developed. After our divorce, I could publish a book from the perspective of his ex-wife, detailing their love story. It would surely attract plenty of interest.
With that hook alone, I could make a decent amount of money. Truly a worthwhile plan.
The next day, I got up on time, applied light makeup, changed into a relatively modest outfit, and set off with Pei Heng.
When we arrived at our destination, I gazed at the grand and imposing auditorium before us. The doors were open, with several beautiful hostesses standing on either side. Wei Lan stood among them, wearing a Chinese cheongsam that made her stand out—more striking than the others. Pei Heng unbuckled his seatbelt and got out of the car, clearly not having noticed Wei Lan yet.
“You go in first. I need to touch up my makeup,” I suddenly said to Pei Heng.
In my previous life, Wei Lan knew Pei Heng was married but had never met me or communicated with me. In this life, it was better not to let her know about my relationship with Pei Heng just yet.
Pei Heng couldn’t be bothered with me. He got out of the car and left.
Through the car window, I watched intently as Pei Heng walked toward the entrance.
Finally, he reached Wei Lan. Since his back was to me, I couldn’t see the change in his expression, but I could clearly see his steps falter for a moment, as if he were sizing up the young, beautiful girl before him.
My heart sank heavily at that moment—aching profoundly, yet settling into resignation.
With so many people around, even if Pei Heng was captivated, he wouldn’t act directly. The setting wasn’t appropriate, so he soon entered the venue.
Only after his figure disappeared did I get out of the car and walk into the auditorium alone.
When she saw me, Wei Lan’s face showed surprise, but she quickly regained her composure and greeted me softly, “Xu Jie.”
I smiled at her, said nothing more, and went inside to find my seat.
Pei Heng was already seated in the front row, next to the venue manager for this seminar. The two were discussing something. My seat was right beside Pei Heng’s. As I walked over and sat down, I happened to hear the manager finish his last sentence: “Alright, I’ll send you her number in a moment.”
Then he glanced at me somewhat awkwardly and quickly stood up to leave.
“He’s more perceptive than Pan Qingqing,” I remarked.
Pei Heng turned his head to look at me, his eyes holding even more annoyance than before. Probably, his mind was now filled entirely with thoughts of Wei Lan, and he had no patience for my nonsense.
He didn’t want to listen, but I insisted on speaking. “Last time, Pan Qingqing sat next to me for ages and didn’t even recognize me. She said I was practically invisible.”
“Normal,” Pei Heng replied indifferently.
“Are you saying it’s normal for her to be unobservant, or that it’s normal for me to be invisible?” I asked curiously.
Pei Heng didn’t answer. He was just watching Wei Lan as she approached from a distance, his eyes brighter than I had ever seen them before.
That look was familiar to me, because it was exactly how I had looked when I first met Pei Heng.
Wei Lan’s eyes were completely fixed on me, not even glancing at Pei Heng, which I found quite satisfying.
I was beginning to believe that Wei Lan truly loved Qi Zhouyang, and her rejection of Pei Heng in her previous life had been genuine. Otherwise, how could she have completely overlooked the man beside her with such an intense gaze?