This was an old residential area on the outskirts of City A, a family dormitory built in the late 1990s, adjacent to a large abandoned chemical plant.
Back in the day, Wei Chongshan had worked at that chemical plant and was allocated an apartment here.
Ten years ago, the chemical plant went bankrupt and was acquired by Pei Corporation, but it had been left idle ever since, with no concrete plans for its use. Once plans were finalized, all the surrounding buildings would be demolished.
Capitalists are bloodsuckers, and Pei Heng, a born pursuer of fame and profit, was especially adept at scheming. The compensation he offered for the demolition was barely at the standard rate—not a cent more.
But no one could have imagined that he would transform into a great philanthropist for Wei Lan.
Wei Chongshan, acting as the representative, met with Pei Heng for negotiations. Expecting constant conflict, he was surprised to find Pei Heng treating him with utmost respect and even revising the compensation standards. Every household received far more than the standard amount.
This move left Wei Lan both furious and touched. Furious because the whole situation was orchestrated by Pei Heng in the first place; touched because he had gone to such lengths for her.
Sitting in my car, I looked up at the flickering lights in the residential complex, lost in thought.
In my previous life, when I discovered that Pei Heng had changed the demolition compensation plan, I asked my father to look into it and learned a bit of the inside story. But at the time, I didn’t know Pei Heng had done it for a woman.
Doing the math, that was around the time Pei Heng had been pursuing Wei Lan for half a year. Just six months, and he was already this obsessive.
I didn’t know the exact building or apartment number of the Wei family, so I drove slowly around the small complex. With no walls or security, it was easy for me to wander around.
Just as I finished one round, I spotted a familiar Bugatti.
Pei Heng, dressed in black, was leaning against the car, his long legs casually resting against the body. His head was slightly lowered as he lit a cigarette.
A luxury car, a handsome man, the night, and cigarette smoke—it had the texture of a movie scene. Putting myself in Wei Lan’s shoes, I pondered: if such an arrogant man were madly pursuing me, spending lavishly for my sake, sweeping obstacles aside like a knight, with eyes only for me, and if I had nothing particularly outstanding about me besides my looks…
Suddenly, it dawned on me: if it were me, I wouldn’t be able to resist either!
Wei Lan was naive, but she wasn’t stupid.
Following the direction of Pei Heng’s upward gaze, I pinpointed Wei Lan’s window. In that building, aside from the lit ground floor, only the fifth floor had a light on.
I dialed Pei Heng’s number.
“What do you want?” His cold voice came through as the call connected, just as aloof as ever.
“Nothing, just seeing if you’d answer my call,” I replied, watching the man not far away through the car window.
As expected, he hung up.
I was almost flattered. While he was standing under another woman’s window, gazing intently, his mind wholly occupied with how to win her over, he still had a sliver of energy to answer a call from his resentful wife?
After a moment of reflection, I drove away.
When I got home, the housekeeping staff had just finished cleaning. Liu E was the last one wrapping up, seemingly waiting for me on purpose.
“Madam!” she called out nervously when she saw me.
I set down the bags of takeout on the table and asked gently, “Aunt Liu, what’s the matter?”
Liu E looked at me nervously, her already wrinkled face full of embarrassment. “When I was cleaning your bedroom today, I accidentally broke a bottle of your skincare product. Please tell me how much it costs, and I’ll compensate you.”
“Which one?” I asked.
She quickly pulled out a tissue-wrapped bundle from her pocket. Unfolding it revealed fragments of a bottle—Jenny Brown’s Softening Lotion, which cost nearly nine thousand yuan per bottle.
Liu E’s monthly salary wasn’t even enough to replace one bottle.
Watching her humble demeanor, I felt an indescribable emotion. This ordinary woman would eventually become Pei Heng’s mother-in-law. Now she worked herself to the bone for a few thousand yuan a month, but later she would leap into high society—all because she had given birth to a beautiful daughter.
Meanwhile, my family had served in government for three generations, and the Pei family had been in business for three generations. Our current wealth and status had been accumulated generation by generation.
“Forget it. I’ve used more than half of that bottle anyway. Just be more careful next time,” I said, feeling inexplicably weary. Remembering how I’d just seen Pei Heng silently gazing up at the Wei family’s residence gave me the surreal sense that this world wasn’t real.
Liu E thanked me repeatedly, both grateful and ashamed. Without another word, I got up and went upstairs to rest.
After showering, I lay in bed with a facial mask on, playing with my phone. The bedroom door clicked open—Pei Heng had returned.
“Your parents have already left. No need to keep up the act,” I reminded him quietly as he approached.
“I know,” Pei Heng replied, taking his pajamas from the wardrobe before leaving without a backward glance.
I really had been overestimating my importance. With a soft sigh, I removed my facial mask and prepared to sleep.
Li You’s phone call startled me awake. Still somewhat drowsy, I answered, “Youyou, what’s up?”
“Didn’t I mention there’s a commercial performance needing a cellist? Are you interested?” Li You asked loudly.
I finally remembered the matter, and my sleepiness vanished instantly. “Yes!”
I would have done it even without pay. My goal wasn’t to make money but to enrich myself and move toward the dreams I once had.
Li You chuckled cheerfully. “Great! I’ll send you the time and address later. Make sure you’re punctual!”
“Okay,” I agreed readily.
After hanging up, I quickly received the details from Li You. The venue was my alma mater, A University Concert Hall, and the event was in three days.
It happened to be the first day of the semester. This commercial performance was actually a task issued by A University’s Music Department, open only to its graduates. The purpose was to welcome the freshmen into the music program, allowing them to experience the charm of music through performances by their seniors and officially begin their university journey.
I hadn’t returned to A University since graduation. Whether it was revisiting old haunts or making donations, I’d done none of it—too busy revolving around Pei Heng.
Maybe this was a new beginning? I found myself looking forward to it.
To avoid embarrassing my alma mater, I began three days of intense practice. Since Pei Heng wasn’t coming home at night anyway, I played from morning till evening, practically taking root in the music room.
Immersed in the cello’s melodies, these three days felt incredibly fulfilling. As I played various pieces, I kept recalling events from my past life, and it seemed to imbue the music with a different quality.
In the evening, after a relaxing shower, I dialed Qi Zhouyang’s number.
“Xu Jie!” Qi Zhouyang’s voice came through amid some noise, as if he were in a bar.
“Xiao Qi, where are you?” I spoke with the earnest tone of a caring older sister, “School starts tomorrow, why are you at a bar?”
Qi Zhouyang’s voice was drowned out by the noisy music, barely audible, “Sister Xu, I’m at work, can’t talk now, can’t hear you!”
I immediately hung up and opted to text instead.
Me: Still short on tuition? Didn’t you have some medical expenses saved up recently that you didn’t use?
Qi Zhouyang replied fairly promptly: My dad’s medical bills weren’t covered, so I transferred it to him.
Without another word, I directly sent him twenty thousand.
I’ve always understood what it takes to charm someone, especially after having an expert like Pei Heng personally demonstrate it for me before.