Pei Wendu seized Shen Qingli’s hand in one smooth motion. His voice suddenly softened from its earlier sharpness, taking on a strange quality. “Apologize to Mingyan, and we’ll consider this matter settled.”
Shen Qingli lowered her eyes and smiled.
Beside her, Song Mingyan said hesitantly, “Brother, there’s no need. How could I possibly deserve an apology from Sister-in-law?”
Shen Qingli looked up at Pei Wendu. “She said there’s no need. I respect her decision.”
Pei Wendu: “…”
Shen Qingli patted his arm. “Go get the car. Xiaoye is about to fall asleep.”
Pei Wendu had no choice but to turn around and get the car.
After he left, Song Mingyan suddenly leaned close to Shen Qingli’s ear—the one wearing her hearing aid—and whispered, “Sister, haven’t you been a little too bad-tempered lately? Could your sex hormones be out of balance? You could ask Brother to regulate them for you.”
Shen Qingli stroked Xu Xiaoye’s little ear and took off her hearing aid in the same motion.
Xu Xiaoye was so sleepy that he was dazed.
He merely lifted his head in confusion to look at Shen Qingli, then quickly lowered it again and began nodding off.
The corners of Shen Qingli’s lips curved faintly, while her eyes were as calm as a deep pool.
After looking Song Mingyan up and down, she said mildly, “You’re one to talk. Your complexion is yellowish, your eyes are ringed with dark circles, and your skin is slack. Your kidney deficiency is written all over your face.
“That condition of yours really isn’t good. If you walked out the door, anyone who didn’t know better would think you were some cheap plaything people could pay to amuse themselves with.”
Song Mingyan’s face went from red to white, then from white to livid.
Her breathing quickened.
With all reason gone, she instinctively raised her hand and swung it toward Shen Qingli’s face.
Shen Qingli’s gaze turned cold.
She caught Song Mingyan’s descending wrist with pinpoint accuracy and leaned forward slightly. “If this slap lands, I guarantee you’ll be in a detention center tomorrow for intentional assault and provoking trouble.”
“Your beloved Brother’s company is going public the day after tomorrow. Madam Pei paid one million to choose that auspicious date. Are you sure you want to ruin the feng shui?”
Song Mingyan bit her lower lip hard, forcing the surging anger back down into her stomach. She could only glare viciously at Shen Qingli with eyes venomous enough to kill, not daring to do anything else for the moment.
Yet the next second, Shen Qingli raised her other hand high.
Carrying a rush of wind, the slap landed across Song Mingyan’s face.
After being slapped, Song Mingyan’s face burned painfully. “Shen Qingli, you…”
Shen Qingli curved her lips, but there was not the slightest trace of a smile in her eyes. “Want revenge? Slap me back, and when I appear at your beloved Brother’s listing ceremony, people who don’t know the truth will think your beloved Brother abuses his wife.”
Song Mingyan’s already raised hand clenched into a fist in midair, trembling nonstop.
Just then, Pei Wendu’s car glided to a smooth stop by the roadside.
He got out, his gaze moving back and forth between the two of them. “What are you talking about?”
Shen Qingli did not spare him a glance.
She picked up the drowsy Xiaoye and walked toward the car without saying a word.
She opened the door, carefully shielding the child’s head, and sat in the back seat.
Pei Wendu looked at Song Mingyan, who was sulking. “What’s wrong?”
Song Mingyan sniffed.
One hand unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes.
With reddened eyes, she looked at Pei Wendu pitifully. “She hit me, and then she insulted me. She said my complexion looked bad, that I was ugly, and that I looked like some slut who’d been ruined by men.”
Pei Wendu tiredly rubbed the space between his brows and said instinctively, “Lili isn’t that kind of person.”
Shen Qingli had always been well-mannered and well-educated.
Although she had always regarded Song Mingyan as the culprit who had caused Shen Yu’an to become a vegetable, she had never cursed Song Mingyan out. At most, she ignored her, remained indifferent, or simply said nothing.
That was why Pei Wendu felt Shen Qingli could not have said those things.
Hearing what Pei Wendu said, the grievance Song Mingyan had just managed to suppress burst open all at once. Pointing at her face, she began to cry softly. “Look at the handprint on my face. Are you saying I’m lying?”
“Brother, I’ve been with you since I was eighteen, and my first time was with you. All these years, I haven’t even had a male friend by my side. Would I really make up a rumor about myself being involved with men?”
Pei Wendu felt irritated and confused.
But Song Mingyan was right about one thing: she had been with him since she was very young.
Even when he occasionally neglected her, her private life had remained perfectly clean. She had always obediently and properly waited for him to favor her.
Pei Wendu believed that a person had to have a conscience.
He smiled indulgently.
Then he bent down slightly.
Raising his hand, he gently placed his broad palm on the crown of Song Mingyan’s head and casually rubbed it a few times. “All right, all right, don’t cry. I was wrong.”
Song Mingyan began crying even harder, mumbling in a soft, delicate voice, “You’re awful. You’re just bullying me because you know I like you, bullying me because you know I’ll forgive you no matter what.”
Pei Wendu took Song Mingyan’s hand and led her toward the car. “Tomorrow I’ll get you a lifetime membership card for Qingyan Beauty Club. And there’s that advanced private yoga course you’ve been longing to attend—I’ll sign you up for that too. But all the male instructors will have to be replaced with female instructors.”
Song Mingyan rubbed her nose. “You wicked man! You allow the magistrate to set fires but forbid the common people from lighting lamps.”
Song Mingyan sat in the front passenger seat.
Pei Wendu drove.
The car sped toward the villa.
Song Mingyan glanced at the rearview mirror and happened to see Shen Qingli removing her hearing aid.
Song Mingyan turned to look at Pei Wendu’s face.
Light and shadow shifted outside the car window. Brilliant streams of reflected light swept across Pei Wendu’s face, making his handsome features all the more striking.
Song Mingyan clicked her tongue softly.
She said to Pei Wendu, “Sister treats Xiaoye so well. Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was her own child. I suppose Mr. Xu must have treated Sister well back then, for her to love his child as well?”
Pei Wendu’s hands tightened sharply around the steering wheel.
He rebuked her in a low voice. “Stop talking nonsense.”
Shen Qingli sneered inwardly.
So she praised the aroma of the food while eating, then complained that the dishes were dirty when it was time to wash them.
When she received five million, why hadn’t she complained about being disgusted then?
Song Mingyan really was stupid.
Even if Pei Wendu no longer loved her, Shen Qingli was still his wife in name.
What man could calmly face his wife’s past marriage?
Who could willingly put an imaginary green hat on his own head?
But Pei Wendu really did indulge Song Mingyan.
He had merely scolded her once, and even his tone could be described as a playful reproach.
Shen Qingli closed her eyes.
She no longer wanted to look at anything dirty.
Song Mingyan stuck out the tip of her tongue, then asked, “Will Sister accompany Brother to the company’s listing ceremony?”
Pei Wendu gave a quiet affirmative.
Shen Qingli was, of course, going.
The romantic story of how he and Shen Qingli had grown up together, remained devoted to each other, and shared both honor and disgrace had earned him a great deal of favorable public opinion.
Shen Qingli’s deafness had also served as Pei Wendu’s excuse for seeking favorable government policies. Over the past two years, he had participated in many charitable projects and raised his public profile.
In countless interviews, Pei Wendu most liked to say one particular line:
“A man who loves his wife will prosper. His wife is the greatest wealth in the household, and treating her well is the same as treating himself well.”
Song Mingyan wheedled, “I want to go too! I’ll take pictures for you. You’re definitely going to look unbelievably handsome.”
Pei Wendu thought about it briefly.
Then he gave a simple instruction. “Fine. You’ll go as one of my assistants. Stay obediently with Yang Xin.”
Song Mingyan happily agreed.
She deliberately stared provocatively at Shen Qingli through the rearview mirror, hoping to meet her gaze. Unexpectedly, Shen Qingli kept her eyes closed and rested, never looking at her even once.
Song Mingyan curled her lips. What a fake!
At dawn, the wind and snow from the previous night had fallen silent. Sunlight slanted across the ground, scattering into a sky full of dazzling halos as it struck the thick layer of snow.
Sister Sun, the nanny who had taken a week off, returned with her bag. “Mrs. Pei, I’m sorry. The snow was too heavy last night, and there wasn’t a single car on the road willing to accept a fare.”
Shen Qingli smiled faintly and gently shook her head. “It’s all right. Safety comes first.”
Sister Sun nodded repeatedly.
Seeing Shen Qingli dress Xiaoye in perfectly neat clothes, Sister Sun could not help asking, “Mrs. Pei, are you taking Young Master Xiaoye out?”
Shen Qingli gave a quiet affirmative. “We’re going out for a while. We should be back a little late, so you don’t need to prepare lunch for us.”
Sister Sun hurriedly agreed.
Sister Sun had been the nanny Shen Qingli and Pei Wendu found through the labor market after they married. She had always helped Shen Qingli care for Xiaoye and prepared three meals a day for the family of three.
Just then, Pei Wendu came downstairs.
Song Mingyan followed behind him.
Sister Sun’s heart lurched, and she instinctively looked toward Shen Qingli.
When she saw that Mrs. Pei showed no reaction at all, Sister Sun quietly withdrew.
Pei Wendu walked up to Shen Qingli and gently hugged her. “Going out?”
Shen Qingli gave a quiet affirmative. She did not waste effort coming up with an excuse to tell Pei Wendu what she was going out to do.
Naturally, Pei Wendu did not ask. “I’m going to the company today to take care of the final checks. Tomorrow, no matter what important matters come up, put them aside for the time being and accompany me to the listing ceremony.”
Shen Qingli nodded indifferently. “Xiaoye, let’s go.”
Following the address on the business card, Shen Qingli arrived at Cheng Yanli’s residence.