13 – Songsong, Happy Wedding
They had gotten up early in the morning, but the makeup, styling, and photos still took quite a bit of time. Fortunately, they managed to get the marriage certificate within the auspicious window.
Wen Song stared at the red booklet stamped with the steel seal, reading it over and over again. She felt like something was off somehow.
She glanced at Pei Qingji standing beside her. His expression appeared calm and unruffled, but she could vaguely sense an air of joy around him.
“Pei Qingji.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve noticed a problem.”
“What?”
“When we met that day, did I introduce myself? How did you find your way to my house?”
Pei Qingji reacted extremely quickly, turning his head to look into her eyes. “You said your name yourself. I could tell from your clothes and bag that they were expensive, and your name rang a bell, so I called home to ask around.”
Wen Song held his gaze. His eyes were sincere, his tone unhurried, as if he were simply stating a fact.
“Is that so? Why would my name ring a bell for you?”
“I’ve heard my mom and Zhou Huanning mention it.”
“Really?”
“Mm.” Pei Qingji nodded.
His gaze was so unwavering that it made Wen Song doubt herself.
Her memory had never been great to begin with, and she seriously suspected that her current pregnancy was affecting it further.
“Shall we go get lunch?” Pei Qingji said again.
Wen Song couldn’t be bothered to dwell on it any longer. She nodded and said, “Okay.”
As they approached the car, Wen Song pointed at the trunk. “I want to change my shoes. They’re in the trunk.”
Pei Qingji nodded, unlocked the car, and first opened the passenger door. “You sit down. I’ll get them for you.”
Wen Song nodded and turned sideways to wait for him to come back.
She had assumed Pei Qingji would simply hand her the shoes, but to her surprise, he crouched down in front of her instead.
He took hold of her ankle with one hand, and Wen Song, flustered, grabbed his hand.
“I can do it myself.”
Pei Qingji didn’t answer but remained insistent.
The physical disparity between a man and a woman was significant—she simply couldn’t overpower him.
The two of them froze in that awkward position for a few seconds, and in the end, it was Wen Song who gave in.
She let out a light cough and turned her head away, not daring to look at Pei Qingji.
Having someone help her change her shoes… it really was a bit intimate.
Pei Qingji’s movements were very gentle, as if he were handling some rare treasure.
His fingertips would occasionally brush against her skin, and she couldn’t help but shrink her neck slightly.
In reality, it only took a few dozen seconds, but to her, it felt unbearably long.
Finally, when her shoes were changed, she was about to turn around when this time, her wrist was grabbed instead.
She had no choice but to look at Pei Qingji, wondering what he was planning to do.
She hadn’t looked before, but when she did, she got a shock.
At some point, his crouching position had transformed into a single-knee kneel.
She watched as he pulled a diamond ring out of his pants pocket with one hand. It was a bit far away, so Wen Song couldn’t make out the details.
She stood there, stunned, as Pei Qingji slid the ring onto the ring finger of her left hand.
“Song Song.” He paused, then looked up at her before continuing, “Happy newlywed life.”
Wen Song was frozen in place, but she saw him stand up with a smile.
He bent down to pack up the shoes she had just changed out of, placing them in the box, then into the bag, and carried the bag toward the back of the car.
Wen Song hastily reached out and grabbed only the corner of his suit jacket.
“What’s wrong?”
Wen Song licked her lips and asked softly, “Where’s your ring?”
“Hmm?”
“I’m wearing mine, so you have to wear yours too. Mom and Dad might overthink it.”
Pei Qingji nodded, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
He took his ring out of his pocket, and Wen Song instinctively reached over to take it, grabbing his left hand to slip it on for him.
Pei Qingji kept his head lowered the whole time, watching Wen Song’s movements.
Wen Song was 166cm tall—definitely not short for a woman—but standing before his 188cm frame, she still looked petite.
Especially since she had a naturally small build; her fist was probably only the size of his palm.
Watching her hold his hand to put on the ring, the contrast in their sizes only made her seem even more adorable.
After slipping the ring on for him, Wen Song held her own hand up to compare—they were clearly a matching pair.
“Done!”
She looked up and met Pei Qingji’s eyes, which were brimming with a smile.
“Thank you,” he said.
Wen Song pressed her lips together, recalling what he’d said that morning, and replied, “Save the thank-yous for strangers from now on.”
Pei Qingji gave a slight nod, seeming to avoid her gaze as he picked up the shoes she’d changed out of and placed them in the trunk before returning to the driver’s seat.
He’d booked the restaurant in advance, and within five minutes of their arrival, dishes began coming out one after another.
Wen Song looked at the table full of her favorite dishes and turned to Pei Qingji with a puzzled expression. “Did you ask my parents what I like to eat?”
Pei Qingji’s hand holding his chopsticks paused briefly, but it was only a fleeting moment.
He looked up at Wen Song and smiled. “Mm. I need to take good care of you and the baby.”
“Oh.” Wen Song responded casually and didn’t think much more about it before digging into her meal.
They left the restaurant at just past one in the afternoon, and Wen Song was already yawning frequently.
She couldn’t tell if it was because she hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before, or if it was simply pregnancy-related drowsiness.
“Come to the office with me?” Pei Qingji spoke up at just the right moment.
Wen Song yawned and replied, “What would I do at your office?”
Pei Qingji didn’t answer right away. Instead, he raised his hand to check his watch.
“It only takes ten minutes to get to the office from here, but over an hour to get back to the villa. Our new place would take half an hour, but someone should be there cleaning around this time.”
As he spoke, Wen Song yawned again.
She also thought about it—going back to her penthouse from here would take forty to fifty minutes, so that option wasn’t great either.
She hesitated and glanced at Pei Qingji, but he had already swiftly taken her hand and said, “Let’s go.”
Wen Song walked beside him, and when she turned her head, she could see his sharp, handsome profile. She felt a little dazed, thinking that this “forced transaction” felt oddly familiar.
Soon they were back in the car. Traffic wasn’t heavy at this hour, so they arrived at Pei Qingji’s company without any trouble.
They took the elevator straight up from the underground parking garage. When they reached the executive floor, it was completely empty—everyone must have gone out for lunch.
Pei Qingji had originally planned to give her a basic introduction to the company, but Wen Song had been yawning nonstop and hadn’t listened to a word, her eyes filled with nothing but longing for a bed.
He opened the office door, and Wen Song stepped inside, immediately spotting another door within.
“Is that it?” She pointed.
Pei Qingji nodded. “Mm.”
Wen Song let out a sigh of relief. Finally.
She released Pei Qingji’s hand and walked inside, still muttering, “Bed, here I come.”