As soon as the words fell, the sound of trees snapping echoed from the mountains, and碎石 began to roll down with rustling sounds.
Before Su Yi could react, Pei Yanli had already pulled her into his arms in one swift motion.
She subconsciously turned her head and saw that the place where she had been sitting a moment ago was now buried under several huge rocks.
In an instant, her legs went weak and a chill ran down her spine.
If it weren’t for Pei Yanli just now, that rock would have hit her.
“President Pei, thank you.”
The familiar scent lingered at the tip of her nose. Su Yi quickly pushed him away.
Her hair slipped through his fingers, that faint fragrance gradually fading. His eyes darkened, unreadable.
“President Pei, it’s too dangerous here. Let’s leave quickly.”
She instinctively covered her lower abdomen. Now that she was finally pregnant, she didn’t want to lose her life here—Nian Nian was still waiting for her treatment.
But in high heels, and with the slippery rain-soaked ground, even though her ankle didn’t hurt much anymore, she still couldn’t walk far.
She was just thinking about taking off her heels when—
“Get on.”
His voice cut through the rain curtain, clear and firm.
Su Yi froze, looking at the man crouched in front of her.
Was he… going to carry her?
Given the situation, there seemed to be no other choice.
“Thank you, President Pei.”
She slowly leaned onto his broad back.
But the moment her body pressed against his soaked shirt—still warm and firm beneath—an electric shock seemed to surge through her entire body.
In an instant, Su Yi’s heart began to race. She suddenly regretted it.
This level of closeness… she was afraid Pei Yanli might remember something.
During their year together, they knew each other’s bodies better than anyone.
Back then, he liked holding her, teasing her waist, and joking, “You’ve lost weight recently, Zhizhi. Are you secretly dieting?”
“Once you’re close to me, I can tell it’s you.”
“How could you know?”
“Secret.”
Lost in thought, Su Yi stiffened, not daring to press too close to him.
The man said nothing the entire way. His arms were strong and steady as he carried her step by step through the muddy mountain path.
His body heat, transmitted through the wet clothes, dispelled some of the cold—but not the turmoil in her heart.
The umbrella was small, and the wind was strong; it barely blocked anything.
Rain slid down along Pei Yanli’s sharp jawline, dripping onto the back of her hand as she clung to his neck.
She kept herself rigid, but her body trembled slightly from the cold.
In the darkness, only heavy footsteps and the sound of rain filled the air.
Pei Yanli seemed to notice her trembling and paused slightly.
His low voice sounded in the rain, carrying a hint of restrained tension.
“Hold tighter. If you fall, I won’t be responsible.”
His tone was cold and firm, leaving no room for argument.
Su Yi bit her lip and, suppressing her emotions, tightened her arms slightly.
Her cheek inevitably brushed against his nape. That familiar, cold scent—impossible to fully mask even in the rain—forced its way into her senses, mixing with the smell of rain and earth.
She closed her eyes, letting the rain wash over her face—and over memories she had long sealed away.
“Miss Su, in the Pei family, there’s no such thing as ‘rising in status through a child.’ Even if you’re pregnant, your child will only be an illegitimate child, unable to enter the family registry. You’re still young—being a single mother won’t be easy. You’re smart; you should understand what I mean.”
“This money is for you. Consider it payment for sleeping with him!”
The old man stood high above, throwing a large check at her with contempt, as if she were nothing more than an ant on the ground.
She stood straight and replied firmly without hesitation:
“Then by your logic, since I also slept with him for so long, should I pay him too? I wonder how much Young Master Pei’s first time is worth?”
“Miss Su, what do you take him for—”
“What do you think I should take him for?”
“You… you have no manners at all!”
She looked directly at him. “Don’t worry. The father of my child will never be him.”
“Miss Su, you’d better remember your promise. If I ever find you near Ah Yan again, I will… do everything I can to make you disappear.”
She opened her eyes. Rain poured down from the sky, and the dark heavens replayed that scene again and again.
Her Nian Nian would never be an illegitimate child of the Pei family.
She was her precious child alone.
She would never let anyone from the Pei family know her existence—including Pei Yanli.
She was about to leave this place soon, and would never return. Everything here, including Pei Yanli… she would never see again in this lifetime.
But thinking of Nian Nian, a wave of grievance suddenly surged in her chest.
She didn’t even know where this emotion came from—it just kept rising uncontrollably.
“Scumbag.”
At those words, Pei Yanli suddenly stopped.
He slowly turned his head. Rain slid down his jawline, and under the lightning, his dark eyes looked sharp like a blade.
“What did you just say?”
His voice was low, heavy with pressure like an approaching storm.
Su Yi’s heart skipped a beat, but she quickly steadied herself.
“I didn’t say anything. President Pei, you misheard.”
A cold laugh came from him.
“Aren’t you afraid of me anymore?”
“I…” Su Yi coughed awkwardly, her mind short-circuiting.
It was obvious he had heard it.
Saying she was afraid now didn’t feel right, and saying she wasn’t afraid also didn’t feel right.
She was utterly frustrated with herself.
How had she just blurted out her real thoughts?
After that, she didn’t dare speak again.
The wind and rain howled on. She didn’t know how long they had walked when, perhaps because she was too exhausted—or because his presence felt too familiar—she gradually drifted into sleep on his shoulder.
Her breathing became steady. Wet strands of hair clung to his neck, carrying a cool dampness.
Her body slowly slid downward, and in the swaying motion her lips lightly brushed against his neck.
Like a feather—but it burned him completely still.
“Su Yi?”
His expression darkened. He suddenly stopped and looked at the person on his shoulder.
She was asleep.
Her lips were soft and warm, like a spark of fire branding his skin.
His eyes deepened sharply. He suddenly tightened his arms and lifted her slightly upward.
“Pei Yanli… be gentler… it hurts…”
His hand tightened around her waist.