Wei Lan came to distribute earpieces to us. She respectfully placed one on my desk and gave me a slight smile.
Then it was Pei Heng’s turn, and she smiled at him as well.
Surprisingly, Pei Heng also smiled and said, “Thank you.”
This already hinted at Wei Lan’s special significance to him.
Wei Lan glanced at Pei Heng again, a flicker of admiration in her eyes. Even the most loyal woman couldn’t deny the handsomeness of that face before her.
Young girls are easily flustered—just a simple “thank you” made her blush.
I suddenly wondered: Could it be that she had ignored Pei Heng earlier because she was afraid of developing feelings for him?
This small interlude quickly passed, and the symposium officially began. The main topics were the joint development between City A and C City, as well as surrounding areas, with discussions focused on formulating feasible plans.
City A had experienced rapid development in recent years, with various markets nearing saturation, so expansion was necessary.
I didn’t understand much about these matters. Aside from listening to my father, Pei Heng, and my father-in-law speak, I spent most of the time lost in my own thoughts.
After the symposium ended, my father found me. “Yi Yi, why are you here too?”
“I was bored at home, so I came,” I replied. My father knew I wasn’t cut out for business or politics, and occasions like this were utterly boring to me, so he was very surprised to see me.
“You came with Pei Heng, right?” My father glanced at Pei Heng not far away, who was chatting casually with others, every gesture exuding the demeanor of someone in power.
Compared to other business magnates, Pei Heng was remarkably young and already outstanding among his peers.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“That’s good. You’re his wife, after all. You should attend some events to solidify your position,” my father said earnestly.
Just then, my father-in-law approached. “Dad, long time no see!”
“Well, well, if it isn’t Chairman Pei! It’s been almost half a year since we last met.” My father shook the extended hand, and the two older men began chatting enthusiastically.
I seized the chance to slip away and started searching for Wei Lan. She should be settling her payment and getting ready to leave by now, right?
I scanned every corner of the auditorium and finally found Wei Lan at the back door. Sure enough, she had already received her payment and was waiting for her ride-hailing car.
“Sister Xu!” Wei Lan called out happily when she saw me.
“Wei Lan, so this is where you’re working part-time as a greeter?” I quickly walked over and chatted with her naturally.
“Yes, this is my last part-time job for the summer. Later, I’m planning to go for a big meal with A Yang to celebrate!” Wei Lan warmly invited me, “Would you like to join us?”
I nodded without hesitation. “Sure, but wouldn’t I be intruding on your couple’s date?”
Wei Lan’s face flushed. “What couple’s date? It’s just a meal together. It’s no trouble at all.”
Men probably like women who blush so easily, right? They look like innocent pink roses, delicate and adorable.
Since Wei Lan didn’t mind, I shamelessly went along with her. Qi Zhouyang was already waiting at the agreed-upon barbecue restaurant. When he saw me, he clearly panicked, quickly standing up. “Sister Xu, Xiao Lan.”
“I ran into Sister Xu during my part-time job today, so I invited her to join us for barbecue. It’s my treat today!” Wei Lan linked her arm with mine, just like close friends would.
“I’m sorry, Xiao Qi, I’m being a third wheel here.” I smiled apologetically.
Qi Zhouyang shook his head vigorously, “No, no, it’s fine! Please sit!”
Wei Lan and I sat on one side, while Qi Zhouyang sat opposite us. After we ordered some ingredients, a charcoal fire was lit in the iron stove on the table, topped with a circular grill. Various plates of different sizes filled the table, all containing ingredients.
When Wei Lan learned that I was also an alumna of A University, she became excited and chattered away with me about various things related to the university. Meanwhile, Qi Zhouyang grilled pork belly for us, occasionally casting an affectionate glance at Wei Lan and a somewhat complicated look at me.
Just as the atmosphere was harmonious, Wei Lan’s phone buzzed with a notification. She casually picked it up to check—it was a text message.
I glanced at it and saw a string of numbers ending with 8. I couldn’t think of anyone else but Pei Heng.
He was indeed making his move.
After reading Pei Heng’s message, Wei Lan’s expression shifted slightly—she seemed both puzzled and surprised. She didn’t reply, simply putting her phone down.
“Xiao Lan, who was it?” Qi Zhouyang asked with a smile.
“Just a spam promotion message,” Wei Lan replied, lowering her head to eat the grilled pork belly, her voice tinged with unease.
I shot a sympathetic glance at Qi Zhouyang. This poor guy was still happily grilling meat, completely unaware that a wolf in sheep’s clothing was extending his claws toward his beloved girlfriend.
For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, I stood up and said, “I’m going to the restroom.”
I then went to the restroom and sent a message to Qi Zhouyang: “Don’t you like the Panamera? Why didn’t you drive it away that day?”
He had even left the car keys at the front gate. Fortunately, Feng Zhou Yuan has top-notch security, and unauthorized personnel can’t enter, or the car might have been stolen.
After sending the message, I touched up my makeup, smoothed the stray hairs by my ears, and returned to my seat.
Qi Zhouyang now avoided looking at me entirely, focusing solely on grilling. My words and actions made me seem like a wealthy woman trying to keep a young lover.
Wei Lan, too, began to seem distracted because Pei Heng, seeing that she hadn’t replied to his message, decided to call her directly.
Startled, she looked at the caller ID, flustered, and quickly hung up. Then she rapidly typed a reply to his text—I couldn’t make out what she wrote from the corner of my eye.
“Wei Lan, you can just block nuisance calls like that,” I pretended not to know and kindly reminded her.
“Yeah, I know,” Wei Lan replied, placing her phone face down and nodding.
I don’t know what Wei Lan replied with, but Pei Heng finally stopped bothering her—for now. However, this was only a temporary calm. Once he sets his sights on you, even if you were the moon goddess Chang’e, he’d find a way to drag you down from the moon.
We all ate the barbecue with our own thoughts weighing on our minds. After the meal, Qi Zhouyang offered to drive Wei Lan and me home, but I declined. “Xiao Qi, just take Wei Lan home. I’ll grab a taxi.”
“Alright then, Xu Jie, please be careful,” Qi Zhouyang still couldn’t bring himself to meet my eyes.
“Don’t worry,” I said, hailing a taxi. After watching Qi Zhouyang and Wei Lan get into their car, I called Xiao Li to come pick me up.
Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Li appeared before me. Looking at his stoic yet loyal demeanor, I sighed, “Xiao Li, if only Pei Heng were as readily available as you are.”
Xiao Li’s eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment, he asked, “Madam, should I contact Mr. Pei now?”
I facepalmed, “Just drive, and don’t say another word.”
Xiao Li nodded and drove me all the way back to Feng Zhou Yuan. I wondered if my in-laws were still there? Had Pei Heng returned?