When Ye Yuncheng returned carrying the fruit, Zheng Wanwan was sitting on the sofa with her hands resting on her lap, looking perfectly demure, while Pei Lan sat with his legs crossed.
Whether it hurt or not—only he knew.
“Your mom just sent a message in the group chat saying you’re trying to get pregnant?” Ye Yuncheng had received the message the moment she reached the kitchen. She had two close friends and a junior from school in the group, and the notification had come in while she was on her way there.
Zheng Wanwan gave a faint smile—news really traveled fast. In a gentle voice, she said, “Mom, my mother stormed into the house in a huff today, so I just said it offhandedly to avoid an awkward scene.”
Compared to her own mother, Zheng Wanwan tended to confide more in her mother-in-law, because she always looked at things from her perspective.
Ye Yuncheng glanced at Pei Lan, then sat down on the sofa and took Zheng Wanwan’s hand. “Good, I was worried you were actually trying. I heard you got promoted to department manager, so I specially prepared a gift.”
Zheng Wanwan’s family ran a security company, but her parents didn’t want her to directly inherit the business—they wanted her to start from the very bottom.
Although she had a younger brother, their family didn’t favor sons over daughters, and they’d made it clear long ago that the company would go to her.
“Pei Lan doesn’t want children.” Zheng Wanwan’s eyes were soft and gentle. They were already on the road to divorce, so it was best to cut off any thoughts of having a child first.
After all, Pei Lan was back now, and at his age—even if her mother-in-law didn’t bring it up, other relatives would inevitably mention it one way or another.
Pei Lan sat off to the side with nothing to do but listen. Just moments ago things had been fine—the child simply wouldn’t take his surname. Now there wasn’t even going to be a child at all.
Ye Yuncheng rolled her eyes and said with displeasure, “Does he even have the nerve to want one? Who’s going to have a child for him?” With that, she stood up. “Wanwan, wait for me a moment.”
Pei Lan glanced at Zheng Wanwan and lowered his voice. “Wife, should we celebrate tomorrow night?”
“It’s still a bit early to celebrate. It won’t be too late once the divorce application goes through.” Zheng Wanwan looked at Pei Lan. She said it as if it were nothing, but no one knew how many nights she’d fallen apart before finally making this decision.
Pei Lan sat there with an air of refined elegance—from the outside, no one could guess what was going through his mind at that moment.
“I know you don’t like wearing flashy accessories, so I had a hair clip custom-made for you.” Ye Yuncheng said, pulling out an exquisite gift box from the bedroom.
Zheng Wanwan didn’t stand on ceremony. “Mom’s taste is never wrong.” She reached out and accepted the box.
When she opened it, inside was an exquisitely crafted, understated hair clip adorned with real diamonds. The brand logo was tucked discreetly on the inside—nothing showy about it at all.
“Wife, let me put it on for you—try it out.” Pei Lan reached out and picked up the clip. Zheng Wanwan’s gentle, soft demeanor suited the creamy white color perfectly.
Ye Yuncheng sighed inwardly. Her uncle was outstanding in every way, except he’d made a mistake in matters of the heart. Pei Lan had learned all the wrong things instead of the right ones.
Zheng Wanwan braced her hand on Pei Lan’s thigh, greeting him with a smile as he clipped it into her hair.
Pei Lan lowered his voice and whispered in Zheng Wanwan’s ear, “Wife, find a different spot to pinch.”
Ye Yuncheng was distracted with her own thoughts and didn’t notice the exchange. By the time she snapped back to attention, the clip was already in place. “Wanwan, how about we make beef-filled dumplings?”
“Sounds good.” Zheng Wanwan stood up as she spoke. “I’ll knead the dough.”
Pei Lan stood up, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over the back of the sofa. His shirt hugged his lean, narrow waist. “Sweetheart, would you let me have this chance to shine?” he said, placing two cufflinks on the coffee table.
Zheng Wanwan thought to herself, I wasn’t planning to compete with you anyway—she was just being polite.
Pei Lan rolled up his shirtsleeves. His skin was fair, and as he flexed his arms slightly, the well-proportioned lines of his muscles became visible.
Ye Yuncheng noticed that there were scars on his arms. “Little Bamboo, where did you get those scars on your arms?”
“I accidentally cut myself before,” Pei Lan said as he walked toward the kitchen.
Zheng Wanwan had wanted to ask about that earlier, but on second thought, she felt it wasn’t quite appropriate…
Pei Lan was kneading dough when he heard the door. He looked up.
His father, Pei Xiuyan, had returned from his meeting. He wore a black suit—the years had only made him more composed and refined. He had silver-rimmed glasses on, and his impeccably tailored suit bore not a single wrinkle.
An assistant followed behind him. After hanging up his suit jacket, Pei Xiuyan took the milk tea he’d bought from the assistant’s hands.
“Sweetheart.” Pei Xiuyan walked over to Ye Yuncheng, bent down, and gently kissed her cheek. “They didn’t have the caramel flavor you wanted, so I took the liberty of switching it to rose.”
Zheng Wanwan quickly stood up. “Dad.” She was still quite afraid of her father-in-law, because when he was younger, he’d been a professor, and now he was a university president—not to mention the chairman of the Pei Group.
Even though he’d never once been harsh with her, she was still afraid. It was a reverence that came from the depths of her heart.
“I like the rose flavor too.” Ye Yuncheng said, patting her belly. “Wanwan, take a look—has Mom been gaining weight lately?”
“Not at all.” Zheng Wanwan said as she stood up. Wherever her father-in-law was, she felt the atmosphere shift.
Pei Xiuyan habitually patted Ye Yuncheng’s head, then rolled up his sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.
“Pei Lan.” Pei Xiuyan’s voice deepened.
Pei Lan looked up and adjusted his glasses. “Dad, there are some things I need to handle myself.” He handed the rolling pin to Pei Xiuyan.
Father and son stood impeccably dressed in front of the counter. Pei Lan was younger, but in terms of presence, he was in no way inferior to his father.
“Your decisions shouldn’t make others bear the cost and the pain.” Pei Xiuyan said, taking off his glasses and setting them aside.
Pei Lan paused and looked at Pei Xiuyan, his expression serious. “Dad, if it were you, I believe you’d make the same choice.”
Zheng Wanwan and Ye Yuncheng were both peeking around the doorframe. Why did their conversation sound so much like some kind of academic exchange…
After finishing the dumplings, Pei Lan sat in his chair and said, “Dad, Mom, my private museum opens tomorrow…”
“We—”
Before Ye Yuncheng could finish, Pei Lan continued, “Wanwan will be going too.”
“We’ll come a bit later…” Ye Yuncheng had originally wanted to say “we’re not going,” but since Pei Lan said Wanwan would be there, they had no choice but to go.
Zheng Wanwan was furious. She’d already turned him down in the car earlier, and with that one sentence, he’d dragged all three people who didn’t want to go into it.
Pei Xiuyan glanced at Pei Lan but didn’t say much.
“Also, I’ll be accompanying my father-in-law on a night fishing trip this evening, so we won’t be coming back tonight.” As Pei Lan spoke, his gaze landed on his “gentle” wife.
She wasn’t pinching his thigh anymore—she’d moved on to his arm.
Zheng Wanwan’s mind was completely blown. Pei Lan was sitting there spouting nonsense, and she had plans for the afternoon—now thoroughly ruined.
“I just happened to buy a new bedding set. I’ll put it on for you in a bit,” Ye Yuncheng said, then looked at Pei Xiuyan. “Honey, do you have anything going on this afternoon?”
The answer was “no”—and even if there were, there wasn’t.
That afternoon, Pei Lan and Pei Xiuyan sat on the balcony playing Chinese chess, cups of freshly brewed tea at each of their sides.
Afraid Zheng Wanwan might feel awkward, Ye Yuncheng suggested she rest in the bedroom and didn’t disturb her. But seeing the two men on the balcony, she had no desire to join the “elderly” crowd, so she lay on the sofa with her phone, chatting with her girlfriends.
Around midnight, Pei Lan returned from night fishing with his father-in-law. He entered the bedroom and saw Zheng Wanwan was still awake.
“So infuriating! What the hell? Bodyguards aren’t people?” Zheng Wanwan’s voice was soft and gentle, but it was clear she was furious right now.
Pei Lan leaned over to look. “Honey, what’s wrong?”
“Some celebrity hired a bodyguard, and when the earrings she rented from the brand fell off, she blamed the bodyguard and even demanded an explanation from me.” Zheng Wanwan’s chest heaved with anger. “With that kind of character, all I can say is—good luck to her.”
Seeing his wife fuming, Pei Lan took off his jacket, typed “Hand over to the lawyers for handling” on the keyboard, and shut down the computer.
Zheng Wanwan lifted her legs and looked at Pei Lan. “Where did you go fishing? You reek.” She pinched her nose as she spoke.
Pei Lan looked helpless, his voice low and deep. “Your father took me to someone’s fish pond.”
“They didn’t set the dogs on you?” Zheng Wanwan was almost speechless. Who goes night fishing at someone else’s private pond?
Pei Lan tugged at his tie, revealing a stretch of skin. “Honey, I paid them.”
“Go away, go away…” Zheng Wanwan shoved Pei Lan away in disgust. She didn’t know who he’d learned it from—proper on the surface, but with a streak of mischief underneath.
Pei Lan got up and went into the bathroom.
“Honey, can you grab my pajamas for me?” Pei Lan stood under the showerhead, his body exposed to the air. He was the type who looked lean in clothes but showed real muscle without them.
Zheng Wanwan was afraid Pei Lan would come out naked—he was fully capable of doing something like that—so she opened the wardrobe and pulled out the white pajamas.
Pei Lan had fair skin, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and clearly defined abdominal muscles, though he didn’t look bulky.
Zheng Wanwan handed him the top but forgot to grab the shorts.
When Pei Lan came out, Zheng Wanwan felt a twinge of regret. She should have gotten him the black ones—then he wouldn’t be standing under the light with his silhouette so clearly outlined.
Pei Lan stood by the bed. Without his glasses, his long, narrow eyes looked even more deep-set. He wiped his still-dripping black hair. “Honey, how about we go on a date tomorrow afternoon?”
“You might as well quit being a university professor and become a bookkeeper instead.” Zheng Wanwan lay in bed reading a book. A date with him? No thanks—this relationship didn’t need cultivating anyway.
After getting into bed, Pei Lan reached out and pulled Zheng Wanwan into his arms. They slept in separate rooms at home, so he never got a chance.
“Honey, didn’t you say before that you craved my body?” Pei Lan said, then sucked gently on Zheng Wanwan’s earlobe.
Zheng Wanwan let out a soft moan, curling up as a tingling numbness spread through her, and behind her came a searing heat.
Back then, Pei Lan had thought Zheng Wanwan was still young and that waiting until marriage would be fine—but that had cost him their wedding night.
“If you don’t feel uncomfortable, then keep it up,” Zheng Wanwan said, slowly closing her eyes.
Pei Lan raised his hand and turned off the bedside lamp. Zheng Wanwan smelled wonderful—if he felt no urge at all, that would be a real problem…
Zheng Wanwan’s heart pounded wildly. She angrily pinched her own thigh. Useless thing!
Pei Lan couldn’t sleep, and not just because of his body. Tonight, his father-in-law had told him a great deal. During the first year he disappeared, Zheng Wanwan had searched for him like a madwoman—newspapers, scrolling news feeds, police reports—she used every means available.
At one point, she became the biggest laughingstock online. People wrote jokes about her, and some used her story to warn other girls not to end up like her.
By the second year, the public scrutiny had died down, but Zheng Wanwan remained listless every day. Eventually, she went to the hospital and was prescribed medication for insomnia.
The doctor diagnosed her with severe depression, though it wasn’t visible on the surface—after all, she was always gentle and wore a perpetual smile.
She had lost weight dramatically, not because she was trying to control her figure, but because she couldn’t eat.
The more Pei Lan thought about it, the more his heart ached. Through her pajamas, he gently kissed Zheng Wanwan. This wasn’t something that could be made up for…
Three years ago, Zheng Wanwan had only been twenty-three, marrying him with a heart full of joy.
Zheng Wanwan lay face-down on the pillow. She hadn’t brought her medication when she left the house today, and her insomnia made it impossible to fall asleep—especially lying next to Pei Lan…
“No, I can’t sleep away from my own bed,” Zheng Wanwan said, sitting up. She didn’t want the person beside her to know, didn’t want them to worry.
Pei Lan’s eyes dimmed. He had been thinking only of having time alone with Zheng Wanwan, but only tonight did he learn that she suffered from depression and chronic insomnia.
A warm, large hand came to rest on her face, his fingertips gently brushing the skin at the corner of her eye. Zheng Wanwan grasped Pei Lan’s wrist.
“How about your husband sings you to sleep?” Pei Lan said, sitting up, his eyes brimming with so much heartache it threatened to spill over. If they went home now, driving would take over an hour.
Zheng Wanwan’s mind wavered. His voice carried a tentative quality, as if it would shatter the moment she refused.
Pei Lan leaned back against the headboard, and Zheng Wanwan rested her head on his lap. His hand gently massaged her scalp.
A warm, mellow voice sounded by her ear. He was telling a history story, starting from Cangjie’s invention of writing. Zheng Wanwan kept her eyes closed. She didn’t know how long passed before drowsiness gradually set in, his voice growing increasingly hoarse.
Pei Lan hadn’t moved at all, his hand resting on Zheng Wanwan’s shoulder.
On the night she confessed her feelings, he had been too excited to sleep a wink. He had planned to propose after she graduated—setting up the venue, preparing the surprise. Perhaps it was because he had been so busy during that period that she began to feel insecure.
She had cried and hugged his waist, asking him whether he would marry her and bring her home. Caught completely off guard, she had once again disrupted his original plans.
The sky gradually grew light. Pei Lan stretched his leg, which had gone numb from being pressed under her weight.
Zheng Wanwan opened her eyes and saw Pei Lan leaning against the headboard with his eyes closed. She scrambled up in a panic: “And you call yourself a university professor? Why are you being so foolish? You could have just moved me off and been done with it.”
Pei Lan’s voice was hoarse as he half-joked, “Then how would I get to take advantage of my wife?”
“But you can’t take advantage of every little thing!” Zheng Wanwan swatted Pei Lan. “Still think you’re a young hothead? Staying up all night will wreck your kidneys.”
“It’s fine,” Pei Lan said, putting on his glasses and getting out of bed.
What do you mean, “it’s fine”?…
Zheng Wanwan stretched, only to see Pei Lan bracing himself against the wall with one hand while the other pressed against his lower back.
“Hahaha… can you even do it or not?” Zheng Wanwan knew she was being a bit heartless, but she just couldn’t help it.
Pei Lan pushed up his glasses. It was only natural that his body had gone stiff after sitting in one position for half the night. As for whether he could do it…