When Pei Shuyi woke up, the snow had already stopped. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting its glow over the snow-covered city.
She reached out and touched the space beside her—the sheets were cold, indicating he had been up for quite some time.
On the nightstand sat a glass of water, its surface beaded with condensation, steam still rising from it.
She picked up the glass and took a few sips. The warm water slid down her throat, bringing a sense of clarity.
As she looked up, she noticed Jiang Congli standing by the floor-to-ceiling window in the bedroom, his back to her as he spoke on the phone.
He had changed into a dark-colored shirt, the top button fastened all the way up, his hand holding the phone pressed to his ear.
Morning light streamed in through the window, casting a cold, white glow around his silhouette.
Yet the aura surrounding him was somber and icy, even more biting than the frozen world outside.
“Keep Jiang Shuman at the old house for the next half month. She’s not allowed to go anywhere.”
Suddenly, Pei Shuyi heard Jiang Congli speak in a low, firm tone.
“There’s no room for negotiation on this matter.”
“If she has any objections, tell her to come to me.”
She didn’t know what was being said on the other end of the call, but she could sense the seriousness in his demeanor.
The relaxed, gentle Jiang Congli from last night, the one who had been by her side, was gone.
In his place was the man she had first met at Qingtan Mountain—distant, decisive, and unapproachable.
It seemed… this was the real Jiang Congli.
Pei Shuyi leaned against the pillow, watching him quietly for a while without making a sound.
As the sheets rustled softly, Jiang Congli turned around.
The moment he saw her, the cold hardness in his eyes melted away instantly.
He said into the phone, “I’ll be back today,” before hanging up.
“Awake?” He sat down by the bed, reaching over to adjust the collar of her bathrobe, which had slipped down her shoulder.
Pei Shuyi looked at him.
“Who was on the phone?” she asked.
Jiang Congli lifted her out of the blankets, one arm wrapping around her waist while the other supported her hips, carrying her effortlessly.
Instinctively, Pei Shuyi wrapped her arms around his neck, her slender legs winding around his waist.
“Family matters,” he replied flatly, carrying her toward the bathroom.
The Jiang family’s relationships were intricate and complex. The Jiang Shuman he had just mentioned was the daughter of He Zhiwan, the third wife Jiang Congli’s father had married—Jiang Congli’s fifth younger sister.
Pei Shuyi clung to his neck, studying his profile.
He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t press further.
Jiang Congli carried her into the bathroom, setting her down in front of him.
He then handed her a toothbrush with toothpaste already applied, filled a cup with water and placed it beside her, and took a towel from the rack, draping it over his own shoulder.
Pei Shuyi took the toothbrush, leaning her weight back against him as Jiang Congli supported her without complaint.
He stood beside her, shaving in front of the mirror.
Shaving cream covered his jawline as the razor glided over his skin, revealing a clean, sharp jaw.
Pei Shuyi noticed him pause near his Adam’s apple, where a faint red mark remained—a bite she had left the night before.
With the toothbrush in her mouth, she couldn’t help but smile slightly.
Jiang Congli caught her expression in the mirror and paused his movements.
“What are you smiling at?” he asked.
Pei Shuyi mumbled something through the foam in her mouth, but he couldn’t make it out and didn’t press further.
Since Jiang Congli had to shave, his morning routine took a little longer.
Pei Shuyi stepped out of the bathroom first and found her clothes already washed, folded, and placed on the sofa in the master bedroom.
The sweater and pants had been washed and dried, feeling soft to the touch.
Suddenly, she paused, looking down again. On top of the sweater lay her undergarments, folded neatly into perfect squares, with corners aligned and edges straight.
Leaning against the bathroom doorframe, Pei Shuyi held the small piece of fabric in her hand. “Did you wash these?”
Jiang Congli was wringing out a towel to wipe his face. “Mm.”
“Did the washing machine do it?”
“The washing machine doesn’t clean them well enough.”
So… he meant he had washed them by hand himself.
Pei Shuyi walked over, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed the corner of his mouth.
Jiang Congli looked down at her.
She kissed him again, this time on his chin, and then a third time on his lips, lingering there without pulling away, her lips pressed against his.
“Thank you,” she whispered softly.
Jiang Congli’s hands were still wet, so he didn’t embrace her. Instead, he leaned down and kissed her back, gently nipping her upper lip at the end. “Go change, then come downstairs for breakfast.”
After Pei Shuyi changed, Jiang Congli also emerged from the bathroom.
The two went downstairs, where Jiang Congli had already prepared breakfast.
The meal was laid out on the dining table. Pei Shuyi sat down, picked up her bowl of porridge, and took a sip—the temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold.
After breakfast, Jiang Congli went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.
Pei Shuyi stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the city of Beijing.
The capital was quiet after the snowfall, with sunlight reflecting off the white snow so brightly it was almost blinding.
In the distance, traffic was slowly moving along the elevated highways, while workers below were shoveling snow in the residential complex.
She watched for a while before turning around. Jiang Congli had already come out of the kitchen and was putting on his coat.
“Before it snows again, we should head back, Shu Yi.”
Jiang Congli called out to her.
The parking garage was on the underground level. Jiang Congli unlocked the car.
Pei Shuyi settled into the passenger seat and fastened her seatbelt. Jiang Congli started the engine, and the car pulled out of the garage.
On the way back, the two didn’t speak much.
Perhaps it was because they both knew they were about to part ways.
Jiang Congli drove steadily, neither too fast nor too slow.
Pei Shuyi leaned back in her seat, watching the scenery outside the window. Gradually, the car left the city behind, the buildings on either side growing shorter and the mountains drawing closer.
Finally, the car stopped outside the mountain gate of Qingtan Temple. Aunt He was already waiting at the entrance and hurried over as soon as the car came to a halt.
“Young lady, you’re finally back.”
Pei Shuyi got out of the car, and Aunt He looked her over from head to toe, only relaxing once she confirmed she was unharmed.
The night before, Pei Shuyi had contacted her, explaining that the sudden snowfall had made the mountain roads unsafe, so she had stayed overnight at the foot of the mountain.
On the way back to the side courtyard, Pei Shuyi spoke up first.
“What time is your flight this afternoon?”
“Two o’clock.”
It took an hour to get from Qingtan Mountain to the airport, and with Beijing’s airport being so large, he and Grandmother Jiang would need to leave the mountain by noon at the latest.
It was almost ten o’clock now, leaving only two hours.
“Have you packed your things?”
“I’ll start packing once I’ve taken you back to the courtyard.”
Jiang Congli didn’t have much luggage, and since he didn’t plan to take everything with him, packing wouldn’t take too long.
Instead, when he returned to the courtyard he shared with Pei Shuyi, he spent quite some time giving Aunt He various instructions.
After going over everything for more than half an hour, mostly about how to take care of Pei Shuyi, he even left her his contact information, saying that if Pei Shuyi fell ill, refused to get up early, slept in, or was picky about food, she should call him.
Pei Shuyi, standing nearby, listened with a dark expression on her face—as if she were some difficult person to handle.
For the moment, the happiest one was undoubtedly Aunt He.
With another person helping her keep an eye on Pei Shuyi, her workload would be much lighter.
Pei Shuyi might seem indifferent in temperament, but she was extremely strong-willed.
She rarely listened to Mr. Pei, but this Mr. Jiang was the only one who, from their very first meeting, could make her take her medicine when told and get up early when asked.