Pei Jingyi hadn’t really listened to what Wen Huan was saying. His attention was completely focused on her lips, which kept opening and closing as she spoke. Besides, he had never cared much about outsiders, let alone some auntie.
In the end, Wen Huan didn’t manage to find out anything, and she ended up eating her meal with slightly swollen lips.
Afterward, as usual, she took a shower and went to bed.
But just as she picked up her phone, intending to check her video data one last time before sleeping, Pei Jingyi’s phone on the bedside table suddenly chimed. It was a message from Duan Yuanzhou.
Wen Huan instinctively opened it and found a somewhat complex business document filled with professional jargon she couldn’t understand.
“Husband, you’re still looking at these even after going bankrupt?”
Wen Huan half-knelt on the bed and leaned toward Pei Jingyi, who had just walked over, to ask.
She didn’t like using perfume, but after her shower, the scent of her body wash combined with her natural fragrance gave off a sweet, pleasant aroma.
Pei Jingyi had intended to hug Wen Huan, but his gaze fell on the business document she had discovered. His hand, which had been reaching out to her side, paused slightly.
His voice lowered slightly as he replied, “Just casually looking.”
Wen Huan blinked, and after a few seconds, she chuckled happily. “That’s good, that’s good. Husband, don’t just look casually—you should look more.”
“Don’t you think it’s redundant for me to look at these after going bankrupt?”
“Not at all! I’ve said it before—you’ll definitely stand up again!” Wen Huan knew Pei Jingyi would plan a comeback; she just hadn’t expected him to start planning so early.
Wen Huan immediately transformed into a little wife-style praise machine. “Husband, seeing you work so hard right after going bankrupt, I really feel like I married the right person~”
Pei Jingyi’s eyes flickered. “Aren’t you worried that if I work hard and go bankrupt again, our whole family might end up sleeping on the streets?”
“No, not at all.”
“Why?”
“Because I believe in you, and because I love you!” Of course, the most important reason was that the book described Pei Jingyi’s life as a noble male lead, with only this brief one-year period of bankruptcy. Besides, a year later, Wen Huan would be divorced and cast aside by Pei Jingyi. Even if he went bankrupt again, what did it have to do with her?
Unaware of what Wen Huan was thinking, Pei Jingyi listened to her confession and reached out to pull her into a tight, unyielding embrace.
“If I make a comeback in the future, I’ll give you everything you want.”
Wen Huan’s eyes lit up. She hadn’t expected such a pleasant surprise.
Well, then, she couldn’t be blamed for starting to “pua” him.
“Husband, even if the whole world doesn’t believe in you, I’m willing to stand against the world for you.”
“I don’t really want anything, because your success and happiness are the best gifts for me.”
“Even though we’re living in a rented place and life is tough right now, as long as you work hard and strive to improve, my heart feels sweeter than honey.”
“But if one day you really rise to the top again, I won’t ask for anything. If you think it’s inappropriate, others might think you’re too stingy. I don’t want people to misunderstand you.”
“The gambling king’s family motto says: listening to your wife will bring prosperity. So, you should listen more to what I want and fulfill my wishes. Even if we’re not together in the future, don’t be too heartless to me~”
After all, an ex-wife is still a wife, right?
Wen Huan looked at Pei Jingyi, chattering away with her brainwashing speech.
Pei Jingyi stared fixedly at Wen Huan without answering, his mind filled with only one thought: What on earth is my wife babbling about now?
He placed his phone back on the bedside table, reached out, and directly switched off the light. “Go to sleep.”
“???” Wen Huan widened her eyes in bewilderment.
But the next moment, the world seemed to spin, and she was already pinned down by the man’s domineering presence. The words she had intended to say were forced into sensitive, unbearable whimpers.
In her daze, the sweet fragrance in the room grew even stronger.
…
The next day, after Pei Jingyi finished his morning routine, he headed to Self-illuminating Technology.
Though the company appeared small on the surface, it concealed undercurrents no less turbulent than those of a major corporation. Pei Jingyi first dealt with the official matters Duan Yuanzhou had sent him the previous night, then held a meeting to discuss the recent developments and unusual movements among the prominent families in the capital. Finally, he instructed Duan Yuanzhou not to send him sudden messages at night in the future.
Although Wen Huan trusted him, he didn’t want her to know too much.
By the time he finished all this, it was already three in the afternoon, and he hadn’t eaten yet.
Duan Yuanzhou, starving, quickly gathered everyone and dragged Pei Jingyi to a nearby mall to eat. However, while passing by a women’s clothing store, Pei Jingyi caught sight of a water-red halter dress hanging in the display case.
Though it was still spring, summer collections had already been released early for women’s clothing.
Wen Huan had plenty of clothes—three-quarters of the space in their newly bought wardrobe was filled with her beautiful outfits. Yet, for some reason, she still insisted she had nothing to wear.
So, after eating a little, Pei Jingyi bought the dress, had the sales assistant cut off the tags and labels, and rode his electric scooter home early to give it to Wen Huan.
Unexpectedly, when he opened the door, the rental apartment was empty.
Wen Huan wasn’t home.
Pei Jingyi’s expression darkened slightly, his black eyes instantly turning cold.
Duan Yuanzhou, who had followed him, jumped to conclusions and maliciously speculated, “Brother Pei! That woman Wen Huan really is up to no good!”
After all, Wen Huan had previously made a fuss, insisting on divorce to find another man for a better life. How could she suddenly change her ways as if she’d had an epiphany?
Now it seemed she was still scheming, just in a different way.
Hearing this, Pei Jingyi shot him a cold glance, the sharp lines of his profile as cutting as a blade.
Meanwhile, Wang Ma, who lived upstairs and hadn’t seen her grandson, had been quietly listening for any commotion. Seeing an opportunity for drama, she pretended to casually come downstairs and “accidentally” noticed Pei Jingyi.
“Oh, Xiao Pei, you’re home early today.”
“Your wife isn’t home. She left all dressed up after lunch—no idea what she’s up to.”
“Oh, and it seems she did the same yesterday, but she always came back before five in the afternoon, right before you got off work, so you never noticed. How unfortunate that today’s timing is so unlucky…”
Wang Ma feigned regret, but her words were dripping with insinuation.
After all, how many affairs in this world are discovered by coming home early?
A storm brewed in Pei Jingyi’s dark eyes, but in front of Wang Ma, he only spoke coldly, “My family’s matters are none of your concern.”
“You—” Wang Ma’s face flushed red with indignation. She hadn’t expected that, even when a woman was practically putting a green hat on her husband, the man would turn around and blame the “kind-hearted” person who tried to warn him for meddling.
No wonder Wen Huan, even after marriage, showed no signs of life’s hardships.
“Just keep spoiling her!” Wang Ma said angrily before turning and storming off.
Pei Jingyi’s expression was blank, but as the sky darkened, half of his handsome face was hidden in shadow.
The next moment, he opened his phone, and the hand searching for Wen Huan’s location was visibly tense with bulging veins.
Duan Yuanzhou gloated inwardly, thinking that Wen Huan would definitely not escape punishment this time when caught—he had no idea what method Pei Jingyi would use to torment her!
…
Meanwhile, Wen Huan was sitting in the café where she had filmed the video yesterday, posting her second makeup tutorial.
Unexpectedly, the view count this time remained disappointingly low, and she even received a few malicious comments.
【Waiting for the blogger’s plastic surgeon~】
【What kind of makeup technique is this? With that face, she’s clearly a plastic surgery freak!】
【Exactly, the filter looks ghostly, and I bet she even used special effects!】
There was one comment that wasn’t outright malicious.
【Hey beautiful, wanna meet up? Let me see your legs?】
Furious, Wen Huan took a big gulp of coffee, but the 58-yuan coffee was truly bitter.
Cursing the blind netizens, her beautiful eyes reddened from the bitterness, and she thought about packing up and going home to find Pei Jingyi.
Just then, a figure had already taken a seat in front of her—