After a three-year absence, Pei Er returned to Beijing.
As soon as she stepped off the plane, she was intercepted by her nominal fiancé.
A flashy blue Lamborghini drifted to a sharp stop right in front of her.
the window rolled down, and the man inside tilted his head, scanning Pei Er from head to toe. “You must be Pei Er,” he said in a lazy drawl. “Your mom sent me to pick you up.”
The man was decked out in luxury brands; the watch on his wrist alone was worth seven figures—the quintessential image of a playboy scion.
This was the fiancé her parents had found for her: the eldest son of the Zhou family, Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi was an impatient man. Seeing her standing still, he clicked his tongue in annoyance, stepped out of the car, and shoved her suitcase into the front trunk.
“Stop dawdling. Get in.”
To pick up this little fiancée of his, Zhou Yi had even turned down a pool party. He wanted to drop her off at the Pei residence as soon as possible so he could make it to the late-night scene.
Pei Er glanced at the time. It was eleven o’clock at night; it would indeed be difficult to catch a taxi at the airport. The fatigue from the journey, compounded by her lingering anxieties, had left her physically and mentally exhausted.
Without a word, she climbed into the passenger seat of the Lamborghini. As she buckled her seatbelt, she provided a hotel address.
“Thank you. The Xina Hotel.”
Upon hearing her tone, Zhou Yi’s already sour expression darkened instantly. He was extremely displeased.
Did she take him, the Great Young Master Zhou, for a chauffeur?
He slammed his foot on the accelerator and said flippantly, “Your mother entrusted me to take you back to Zijin Garden. If I don’t bring you back there, how am I supposed to explain myself?”
“What is there for you to explain?”
“I’m your fiancé, what do you think?”
A few buzzes sounded as Zhou Yi’s phone vibrated. He tapped it casually, and the screen displayed the words: “Dearest Xiao Meimei.”
Zhou Yi answered the call right in front of Pei Er, his tone turning cloyingly sweet.
“Hello? What’s up?”
Pei Er could hear a woman’s voice coming through the speaker.
The woman called him “Brother Yi” and asked in a dainty, coaxing voice, “Where are you? I miss you so much, but you won’t come find me.”
Zhou Yi made no effort to hide the conversation, letting out a light, flirtatious chuckle. “Miss me? Where do you miss me? Up top or down below?”
“You’re so bad!” The woman’s tone was coy and seductive. “I just bought that fox outfit you like—the one with the tail. I’m wearing it right now. Are you coming or not?”
Zhou Yi laughed and cursed playfully, “You little vixen. You’re trying to be the death of me.”
The woman on the other end giggled and urged him to hurry over. “Everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up.”
Only then did Zhou Yi glance at Pei Er, as if just realizing she was there. He cleared his throat and coaxed the woman, “Next time. I have serious business right now.”
Xiao Meimei was clearly unhappy, complaining that he was neglecting her. Zhou Yi lowered his voice to soothe her, promising to buy her a new designer bag. Only then did she hang up, satisfied.
Zhou Yi pulled a cigarette from his pack, placed it between his lips, and picked up a silver lighter to strike it.
“I’m allergic to nicotine,” Pei Er said, stopping him. She had no desire to inhale his secondhand smoke.
Zhou Yi clicked his tongue. “Will it kill you?”
“Yes.”
His face full of resentment, Zhou Yi had no choice but to toss the lighter back. He spoke in a loose, arrogant manner.
“Look, we’re both sensible people, so let’s not play dumb. This is a business marriage. We talk about interests, not feelings.”
“Let’s get this straight first: my grandfather wants a great-grandson. Within two years of marriage, you must give me a son. As for which man you like or who is in your heart, that’s your private business. I won’t interfere with you, and you don’t interfere with me.”
He spoke as if he were entirely in the right.
Pei Er turned her head away, finding the whole thing tedious.
Was this the fiancé her parents had claimed to have hand-picked for her? The one they said was her perfect match?
The heir to a prestigious family? Young and promising? Sophisticated and graceful?
Pei Er couldn’t see a trace of those qualities.
Zhou Yi had women around him. He could have kept them hidden, but he deliberately took that call in front of her to disgust her. It was clearly a warning.
He was making it clear that he played around before the marriage, and he would continue to play around after. He wanted his fiancée to know her place.
Zhou Yi continued, “My only requirement for you is that you absolutely cannot get knocked up by another man. If you do, you’ll have to get rid of it. Also, get regular checkups. Don’t catch any dirty diseases.”
Pei Er couldn’t help but retort, “You should carve that sentence onto your own forehead. Look in the mirror more often so you don’t forget who you really are.”
Gripping the steering wheel, Zhou Yi let out a sneer. “Everyone knows how wild people play abroad. You’d better get a physical exam first, otherwise, I wouldn’t dare marry you.”
Pei Er curled her lip. “Oh, I suppose Young Master Zhou is well-informed and speaks from personal experience.”
“I’ve asked around about you,” Zhou Yi said dismissively.
“I heard that you had a huge falling out with your parents over an inheritance left by your grandmother. I assume you squandered all that money abroad over the years? You only came back this time because you couldn’t survive out there anymore, right? As long as you behave yourself and play the role of Mrs. Zhou well, you won’t lack for money. I won’t make things difficult for you.”
Rumor had it that three years ago, Pei Er had a massive row with her family over Old Mrs. Pei’s inheritance. After securing the money, she left the country immediately upon graduating from university.
Everyone thought she was greedy for petty wealth, heartless, and short-sighted.
A top student from Beijing University who had won several international design awards before graduation had supposedly become arrogant after snatching a bit of inheritance. She had supposedly abandoned her career and indulged in pleasure, choosing to go abroad to play during her prime years.
Three of her best years, wasted for nothing.
Zhou Yi drove very fast. The night wind howled as it rushed through the car window, whipping Pei Er’s long hair into a mess.
Her eyes grew dim, and a bitter smile tugged at the corner of her lips. A faint ache throbbed in her heart, but in the end, she chose silence.
The arguments were real, and fighting for the inheritance was real, but that money had belonged to her in the first place. She had simply wanted to protect what was hers.
Discussing right and wrong with a complete stranger was a total waste of breath.
Zhou Yi’s phone rang again. He answered it and put it on speaker.
“Aunt Fang.”
A voice that was both strange and familiar to Pei Er sounded from the other end. “A-Yi, have you picked up Er’er?”
Zhou Yi grunted in affirmation. “Picked her up. She’s right here.”
“Er’er, Mommy called you several times just now. Why didn’t you answer?”
The woman’s tone over the phone was intimate and gentle—a tone Pei Er had never heard in twenty-four years.
No, she had heard it before; it just hadn’t been directed at her.
Pei Er looked down at her phone. Sure enough, there were five missed calls.
She pressed her lips thin and said coldly, “If you have something to say, say it.”
The person on the other end paused at her icy tone, then smiled. “It’s good that you’re back. Your father and I are waiting for you at home.”
Pei Er glanced out the car window. In the pitch-black night, the streetlights flashed by one by one, reflected in her clear eyes.
The scenery was becoming familiar. After three years away, Zijin Garden didn’t seem to have changed much.
As a top-tier luxury residential area, Zijin Garden occupied an entire mountain range. Surrounded by mountains and water, the scenery was exquisite, comparable to a 5A-rated scenic spot. The entrance to the park had a 24-hour security post, and access was strictly limited to registered vehicles.
As they neared Zijin Garden, headlights shone from behind. Pei Er glanced in the rearview mirror and saw a black car following them at a moderate distance.
It was a Bentley, sleek in design, low-profile yet noble.
It was likely another resident of Zijin Garden.
Pei Er withdrew her gaze.
Zhou Yi drove familiarly to the gates of the Pei family villa.
The car stopped. Pei Er smoothed her wind-blown hair, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pushed the door open to get out.
As she walked through the gate, the black Bentley slowly drove past the Pei family’s front entrance.
The window was halfway down. The man inside was hidden in the shadows, his eyes fixed deeply on her retreating back, his expression unreadable.