After changing her clothes, Zheng Wanwan left the bedroom. She looked toward the balcony in surprise—the three men of the family, all in suits, were leaning against the railing, smoking.
Pei Lan stood in the middle. Seeing her come out, he immediately stubbed out his cigarette and tossed it into the ashtray.
He wore a black suit, and fearing his glasses might slip with so many people around later, he had paired them with a gold chain. Compared to his usual refined elegance, an air of restrained allure now took precedence.
Beside him were his father, Pei Xiuyan, and his eldest brother, Pei Kaixin—one a school principal, the other a computer science professor. Like Pei Lan, both currently held positions at Aster University.
“Dad, big brother, good morning.” Zheng Wanwan wore a pearl-colored blouse paired simply with a black long skirt—elegant and graceful. With her customary smile, she walked toward the balcony.
Pei Lan extended his hand. Not wanting anyone to notice anything unusual, Zheng Wanwan gently leaned into his embrace. “Have you all had breakfast yet?”
“Mom went to buy steamed buns. We’ll eat together when she gets back.” Pei Lan’s voice was somewhat hoarse as he held his beloved wife in his arms, a faint trace of cigarette smoke lingering on him.
Zheng Wanwan pressed against Pei Lan, feeling the warmth radiating from him. Once, she had craved this warmth…
Pei Kaixin had been smoking as well, but upon hearing the bedroom door open, he casually stubbed out his cigarette and flicked it into the trash can.
Ye Yuncheng walked in carrying steamed buns. The moment she entered, she frowned. “Whoever was smoking, raise your hand.” She looked toward the balcony.
Pei Xiuyan adjusted his glasses. Pei Kaixin patted Pei Lan on the shoulder.
“Mom, it was me.” Pei Lan’s voice was deep, his expression tinged with helplessness.
Zheng Wanwan’s shoulders trembled slightly. What was this—karma coming full circle? He was the youngest, after all. If not him, who else would they pick on?
Ye Yuncheng set down the steamed buns and headed toward the kitchen. “Pei Kaixin, if you smoke, I’ll beat you.” She emerged carrying a bowl of lean pork congee.
Pei Xiuyan quickly walked over to help.
Pei Kaixin had been injured as a child and had undergone multiple thoracic surgeries, so he couldn’t smoke.
“Mom, where did we put that feather duster we used to have?” Pei Lan asked with a perfectly serious expression.
Anyone who didn’t know him might think he actually intended to use it. But those who knew him well understood—he was deliberately stirring trouble, trying to set someone up.
Pei Kaixin draped his arm over Pei Lan’s shoulder, his voice low and lazy. “Careful—I might just tell Wanwan all about you.”
This kid had been pining after Wanwan since he was a teenager, even printing out her photo and keeping it under his pillow. That wasn’t even the worst of it—he had over a thousand photos on his phone. Who knows how many nights of budding adolescent longing he’d spent taking his phone to the bathroom, disappearing for a full hour each time.
He probably came out with his hand completely numb.
Pei Lan bent down, the gold chain brushing against Zheng Wanwan’s cheek as he lowered his voice. “Don’t listen to him. Sister-in-law just finished giving him an earful—he can’t stand seeing us being lovey-dovey.”
Pei Kaixin was six years older than Pei Lan, thirty-four this year, yet his wife was two years younger than Zheng Wanwan. That little detail spoke volumes…
“Wanwan, Mom bought two kinds of steamed buns—one with meat filling and one with vegetable. See which one you’d like.” Ye Yuncheng said as she pulled out a chair and sat down.
Last night she’d made beef dumplings, but Wanwan had only eaten two, which was why she’d bought both kinds today.
She had no idea Zheng Wanwan was ill. Aside from Zheng Lin, her father, not even her own mother knew—otherwise, who knows what might have happened.
Pei Lan held Zheng Wanwan in his arms and kissed her earlobe with tender affection. “Sweetheart, taste it first. If it’s not good, give it to me.”
She was so gentle, unwilling to let anyone around her feel sad or upset. But for someone with depression, this kind of love was extremely painful—she had to struggle between love and the desire for release.
Zheng Wanwan smiled and walked over to the table, picking up the meat bun and taking a bite. “Mom, where did you buy these? They’re so good.”
“Right? Their place doesn’t do delivery—you have to go queue up in person.” Ye Yuncheng said as she handed Zheng Wanwan a pair of chopsticks. “Here, don’t burn your hands.”
Pei Xiuyan passed the lean pork congee to Ye Yuncheng, then handed the second bowl to Zheng Wanwan.
Pei Lan sat beside Zheng Wanwan, watching her eat and chat happily, his chest feeling as if countless stones had piled up, pressing down with such weight that it ached.
Pei Kaixin sat in his chair. Though he’d looked all lazy and relaxed just moments ago, now that he was seated at the table for a meal, there were rules to follow.
Ye Yuncheng chewed slowly and swallowed carefully. Back in her younger days, she’d been talkative at mealtimes—gossiping about this family and that, nothing she couldn’t chat about. But now…
“Wanwan, let me tell you—while I was queuing up just now, I heard that in the building across the way, there’s a husband who’s an elementary school teacher, and he actually beats his own wife. A man like that, if you ask me, is nothing but a maggot.”
Pei Xiuyan didn’t say a word. Pei Kaixin picked up a tea egg and started peeling it. Pei Lan felt a bit worried—Wanwan already couldn’t eat much as it was, and now they were talking about this.
“Lan-ge, what do you think of men who beat their wives?” Zheng Wanwan picked up the thread. She wasn’t about to let her mother-in-law’s words fall flat.
Pei Lan lowered his head and took a bite of the soup dumpling in Zheng Wanwan’s hand—he could tell at a glance that she couldn’t eat any more of it. “Sweetheart, no matter how I look at it, trash is trash. That much is beyond question.”
Men had their own hierarchy of contempt, and men who beat their wives were trash—you wouldn’t even sit at the same table as them for a drink.
Think about it: you’re having a drink, you look up, and you see a living maggot. Disgusting, right? Could you even keep drinking after that?
“The thing is, he usually seemed so refined and polite to people. When he got arrested, everyone was shocked.”
After Ye Yuncheng finished speaking, three pairs of eyes turned to her in unison.
“Mom, I hope you can be clear about one thing—collateral damage still counts as damage.” Pei Lan looked up and said in a low voice.
Zheng Wanwan’s brows curved like crescent moons as she smiled with particular delight. She simply couldn’t hold it in anymore—one sentence had accidentally caught all the men in the family in the crossfire. Truly worthy of her mother-in-law…
Ye Yuncheng raised an eyebrow. Not bad teamwork, right?
After the family finished breakfast, Pei Lan took Zheng Wanwan into the car first—he needed to arrive early to make preparations.
Zheng Wanwan had assumed that a private museum’s opening wouldn’t draw many people. But the crowd stretched beyond what the eye could see, and quite a few reporters and media outlets had shown up on site as well.
The museum was built in a sparsely populated suburb, covering forty thousand square meters. A scenic area was a twenty-minute drive away, and there was a modest-sized snack street nearby.
Unless someone truly loved the place, most wouldn’t choose to come here. Fortunately, there was no admission fee and no charges of any kind.
Plainly put, it was a money-burning endeavor—you wouldn’t dare do something like this without serious wealth behind you.
“Spendthrift.” Zheng Wanwan muttered under her breath, thinking Pei Lan couldn’t hear her.
Pei Lan wrapped an arm around Zheng Wanwan’s waist and lowered his voice to whisper in her ear, “Are you talking bad about your husband?”
Zheng Wanwan’s ears turned red at the roots. Had she liked him back then because of his voice? Probably not—his voice back then had that unique magnetic quality of youth, completely different from his current deep, low tone.
“Ex-husbands exist precisely for badmouthing, don’t they…” She finished speaking and looked off into the distance.
Unexpectedly, all the influential figures in their circle had shown up to show their support, keeping the media busier than ever.
“Honey, I’ll have my assistant take you to the lounge area first.” Pei Lan had social obligations to attend to, but he was worried about Zheng Wanwan getting tired.
Zheng Wanwan clasped her hands behind her back and said softly, “You bring me here, yet you’re afraid of me being seen… what kind of person does that make you…”
“Ungrateful.” A smile tugged at the corner of Pei Lan’s lips.
Since it was a museum, no special opening ceremony was needed, though he would have to set aside two hours afterward for a press interview.
After the announcement of the museum’s opening, Zheng Wanwan followed the crowd into the exhibition hall. She wasn’t particularly knowledgeable about these things, so she strolled along, taking in the sights as she went.
“This one seems to be a famille-rose enamel from the Qianlong period, but I heard it was supposed to be auctioned overseas…” How did it end up here?
Quite a few people were murmuring among themselves.
Zheng Wanwan bent down, carefully examining the outer rouge-glazed, inner famille-rose fruit-patterned horse-hoof cup displayed in the showcase.
Pei Lan was outside, mingling with the guests.
“Brother Pei, you’re finally back! I thought you’d really disappeared, but it turns out you were quietly off doing something big.” A young woman around twenty years old joked, accompanied by her parents.
Pei Lan gave a faint smile—elegant and courteous without losing his poise.
“You child, where are your manners.” The middle-aged man scolded his daughter before turning to Pei Lan: “Come by my tea estate sometime when you have the chance. I’ll save this year’s new harvest for you.”
“Then I’ll thank Uncle Zheng in advance.” Pei Lan’s gaze drifted into the distance—there were so many people…
“I’ll head inside then. We’ll catch up another time.” The middle-aged man led his wife and daughter into the museum.
The young woman whispered, “Brother Pei is such a wonderful person, yet some people used to call him a heartbreaker.” If her husband looked like that, had money, and was a professor, she’d be laughing in her sleep.
According to her father, not counting the exhibits, just the land and construction costs alone were a considerable sum…
At 1.9 meters tall, Pei Lan was impossible to overlook even in a crowd.
“I heard it was because that girl from the Xu family, relying on being Pei Lan’s childhood sweetheart, forced the marriage—that’s why the groom disappeared right after the wedding.”
“…”
Two women walked arm in arm, gossiping.
Zheng Wanwan walked over to a security guard: “Give me your wireless earpiece.”
“Miss, this…” The security guard looked troubled—this was his job, after all.
Zheng Wanwan smiled: “Don’t worry, it’s not a test. I just need to use it.” As she spoke, she glanced at the surveillance cameras around her.
The security guard removed his wireless earpiece and handed it to Zheng Wanwan.
After putting on the earpiece, her voice changed instantly: “What are the people in Zone B doing? Why are they wandering into Zone A? Haven’t they received proper training?!”
“And the security in Zone A—I was just standing in front of the display case, took something out of my pocket, and headed straight for the exhibits, yet no one came to stop me. I want to know, what was the person in charge thinking at that moment?” Zheng Wanwan walked toward Zone A as she finished speaking.
The exhibition hall didn’t have clearly marked zones, but the security personnel divided their areas of responsibility among themselves.
Zheng Wanwan, as the heiress of a security company, knew better than anyone what their job entailed.
After handing off the social obligations to his parents, Pei Lan entered the exhibition hall.
He searched for a while but couldn’t find Zheng Wanwan, so he headed toward the rest area in the back.
“That abandoned rich wife is really basking in glory now. I just greeted her and she ignored me. She forced her way into the Pei family through marriage, and she actually thinks she’s all that…”
“I heard from my mom that word has spread around the circle—apparently Pei Lan has someone he likes, but he couldn’t resist because his mother and Zheng Wanwan’s mother are best friends. Otherwise, why would Pei Lan have run off? The only reason he came back this time is because his mother threatened to kill herself.”
Pei Lan took off his glasses, his long eyes filled with menace. Three years—his Wanwan had been enduring this for three years.
Just as he was about to step forward, he was stopped.
“Let’s go.” Zheng Wanwan grabbed Pei Lan’s wrist.
Pei Lan stood rooted to the spot.
Zheng Wanwan tugged at Pei Lan with force. “Not listening?” She frowned, her face full of displeasure.
Pei Lan followed behind Zheng Wanwan, his glasses dangling from his fingers, the chain making a faint clinking sound.
Today was the opening of his museum, and she didn’t want a few people’s idle gossip to ruin the occasion.
Once they reached a secluded spot, Zheng Wanwan pressed Pei Lan against the wall, her leg bracing against him, her hand on his shoulder. “You still have to go teach at the university. There are media and reporters everywhere outside. Calm down.”
Pei Lan kept his head lowered, his voice hoarse and deep. “Wife, I’m not resisting not because I think everything you’re saying is right, but because I don’t want to make you angry.”
Zheng Wanwan knew Pei Lan had calmed down. She released her grip and tapped her earpiece. “Sector B, received.” Then she looked at Pei Lan. “I’m in charge of security here. I’ll have a plan ready within the week—”
“Mmph—”
Pei Lan bent down, cradling the back of Zheng Wanwan’s head, and kissed her forcefully. The kiss wasn’t gentle—it was almost rough.
Zheng Wanwan resisted at first, pushing against him to stop him from going further, but in the end, she lost…
The searing heat was almost scalding, his distinctive scent overwhelming everything. Zheng Wanwan’s heart pounded like a drum, her body going weak as her mind went blank.
She hadn’t expected Pei Lan to suddenly kiss her—she had no defense at all…
“You shameless pervert.” After pinching little Pei Lan, she walked away with a red face. Her mic was still on—if anyone heard that, she’d die of embarrassment.
Pei Lan watched Zheng Wanwan’s retreating figure. He had to find a way to win her back…
“Sister Wan.” A young security guard smiled, revealing two canine teeth.
Zheng Wanwan looked at the young security guard. “Do your job well.” With that, she turned and left. She needed to get some fresh air—her heart still hadn’t steadied.
“Lan-ge.” A young man around twenty years old quickly walked over to the secluded spot.
Pei Lan looked up politely. “What is it, Lu Huai?” He’d been standing there trying to compose himself—one kiss was enough to drive him mad…
“The guys set up a gathering tonight. Come hang out.” Lu Huai slung his arm around Pei Lan’s shoulder. “If you don’t come, I’ll crash at your place. Whenever you turn off the lights, that’s when I’ll knock on your door.”
“Fine.” Pei Lan agreed.
Otherwise, Lu Huai would definitely refuse to leave his house.
Lu Huai’s father, Lu Sui, had once saved his mother and his mother-in-law. Though Lu Huai was more than seven years younger than him, they still had a decent relationship.
When he was little, he used to follow Pei Lan around with a runny nose, begging him to take him along to play.
“Why don’t you bring your wife along? I’ve already bragged about it to everyone.” Lu Huai gave an awkward chuckle after saying this.
Pei Lan pushed up his glasses. “Your sister-in-law doesn’t drink. We’ll talk about it tonight.” He couldn’t agree on her behalf.
“Speaking of which, Lan-ge, you disappeared for three years—where did you go?” Lu Huai knew better than anyone that back then, the Pei, Xu, Zheng, and Bai families—all the major clans—had searched the world like madmen, yet they could never find him.
Pei Lan didn’t want to continue this topic, so he spoke up: “I’m going to check on your sister-in-law. You can look around on your own.”
“I’ll come with you—I really like sister-in-law!” Lu Huai said, nearly lunging forward with his whole body.
Pei Lan stood to the side and said flatly, “Sorry, I lost my footing.”
If Pei Lan hadn’t been so deadpan serious, Lu Huai would have suspected he’d done it on purpose…
Old Hua particularly enjoys writing about the transition from restraint to madness. Pei Lan belongs to the type who is restrained in the early stage and goes mad in the later stage—when he realizes he’s about to lose his wife, he’ll stop at nothing, using every means available.