Pei Yan detested Li Yueting’s dubious friends, and among them, she loathed Fu Huaizhou the most.
At first, when Li Yueting went to nightclubs every day to fool around, she thought it was because he couldn’t refuse due to Fu Huaizhou’s status and influence.
But later, she realized that all men were the same.
Her tolerance for Li Yueting was only because of their childhood bond.
Since he had never crossed the final line, she deluded herself into thinking he might settle down after marriage.
They had fallen in love freely, and she still held onto a sliver of hope for Li Yueting.
Even so, it didn’t stop her from disliking Fu Huaizhou.
Because six months ago, something happened.
Fu Huaizhou’s mockery shattered her already fragile self-esteem, making her consider breaking up with Li Yueting for the first time.
Back then, she had gone to a nightclub looking for Li Yueting.
They ended up arguing on the street. As the heir of Blue Sail Entertainment, Li Yueting didn’t want to be photographed by paparazzi with Pei Yan.
So, he called his driver to pick her up but left first himself.
The next day, entertainment news outlets ridiculed Pei Yan with sharp, venomous words, fueling countless media gossip columns and marketing accounts.
It was near New Year’s Day then. She had forgotten to bring her coat when she left, and Fu Huaizhou chased after her to give her one.
Pei Yan felt deeply humiliated and refused his offer to escort her.
But before she had taken more than a few steps, Fu Huaizhou’s cold remarks stabbed at her heart like knives: “Miss Pei truly lives up to the tabloids’ description—a hopeless romantic.”
Pei Yan tried to hold back but couldn’t. She turned and walked up to him: “What would a third-generation rich kid like you, who spends every day in nightclubs, know about true devotion?”
Fu Huaizhou sneered, “I don’t know about devotion, but Miss Pei does. At least I’m not the one standing in the cold wind, looking like I’m about to burst into tears. It’s pathetic.”
Pei Yan sniffled and muttered through tears, “Bastard.”
It was unclear whether she meant Fu Huaizhou or Li Yueting.
“Let me take you home.”
“No.” Pei Yan refused again.
She didn’t want to call the driver either and just wandered aimlessly along the road.
Fu Huaizhou followed behind her, probably concerned for her safety.
Though they weren’t close, they had known each other since childhood.
Ten minutes later, Fu Huaizhou stopped her and said, “Let me take you home.”
This time, Pei Yan didn’t argue. Her feet hurt from wearing high heels.
Fu Huaizhou, understanding and assertive, pulled her into the car.
Only then did Pei Yan notice a McLaren crawling along behind them.
The driver was a hired chauffeur, who breathed a huge sigh of relief when Fu Huaizhou told him to get out.
In the end, Fu Huaizhou drove her home himself.
She remembered complaining about his slow speed at the time.
Even after her sarcastic remarks, Fu Huaizhou didn’t speed up, as if deliberately opposing her.
When they arrived, she still said, “Thank you.”
But all she got in response was the exhaust fumes from Fu Huaizhou’s car.
Since then, they hadn’t seen each other—until now.
“You…” Pei Yan snapped out of her daze, “What are you doing here?”
Fu Huaizhou lowered his gaze, his eyes resting on her lightly touching the ground foot, and said, “Let me take you to the hospital to get it checked.”
Avoiding the question.
Pei Yan: “No need. It’s just a sprain. I’ve already seen a doctor.”
Fu Huaizhou: “Then let me take you home.”
“Where is he?” Pei Yan suddenly asked.
Fu Huaizhou’s eyes flickered slightly: “We weren’t together tonight.”
“Stop pretending.”
Pei Yan picked up her phone and opened the previously received photo, zooming in on a corner to show him: “Do you want to see if the watch on your wrist matches the one in this photo?”
Fu Huaizhou quietly watched her for a long moment before suddenly letting out a low chuckle: “You recognized me from just that tiny exposed detail in the photo?”
Pei Yan didn’t understand why he was laughing and shot him an annoyed look: “…When has there ever been a situation without you?”
Fu Huaizhou shrugged: “Legs don’t grow on my body.”
The implication being that he had no control over where Li Yueting went.
The air fell silent for a moment before Pei Yan suddenly asked him: “What about the woman in the photo? Who is she?”
Fu Huaizhou remained silent.
Pei Yan lifted her gaze to meet his: “Speak.”
After a moment of deliberate hesitation, Fu Huaizhou put on a troubled expression: “Yueting isn’t what you think he is.”
“Heh.” Pei Yan let out two cold laughs, “So it only counts if they’re lying in the same bed? But birds of a feather flock together. Since Li Yueting claims it’s all an act, I suppose Young Master Fu must be quite experienced in such matters too. That’s why you can lie through your teeth without blinking.”
Fu Huaizhou’s eyes darkened: “I haven’t.”
Pei Yan couldn’t care less whether he had been fooling around with those women – after all, she couldn’t even control her own fiancé.
“Let’s go.” Pei Yan walked straight toward his car, “Take me home.”
Fu Huaizhou’s pupils contracted slightly. What did she just say?
Pei Yan turned to look at the man standing like a wooden post and urged: “Didn’t Li Yueting send you to take me home?”
Snapping out of his daze, Fu Huaizhou gave a vague acknowledgment before turning to follow her into the car.
“How unusual!” Pei Yan glanced at his hands fastening the seatbelt, “Whenever Li Yueting argues with me, he either sends a driver or one of his lackeys to take me home. I never expected you’d grace me with your presence this time.”
Fu Huaizhou tightened his grip on the steering wheel: “I was passing by.”
Misinterpreting his words as continued cover for Li Yueting, Pei Yan added:
“Stop pretending. If Li Yueting hadn’t asked you, would you have conveniently come from Moonlight to my company?”
Moonlight was naturally the nightclub where Fu Huaizhou and his circle usually hung out.
Fu Huaizhou’s silence was taken by Pei Yan as admission.
Pei Yan smiled self-deprecatingly. How thoughtful of Li Yueting to still remember sending someone to take her home.
And now? What was he doing with that woman?
Were they lightly swirling wine glasses while sharing knowing smiles? Or were they whispering intimately with cheeks touching?
Pei Yan pinched the bridge of her nose and turned to look out the window, hiding the vulnerability she had inadvertently revealed.
Her gaze shifted to her reflection in the car window, thinking: You should let go, Pei Yan.
Fu Huaizhou was right – this is truly pathetic.
“Hungry?”
A deep voice suddenly spoke, carrying an inexplicable gentleness.
Pei Yan turned to look at Fu Huaizhou: “What?”
Fu Huaizhou kept his eyes on the road: “I asked if you’re hungry. I am.”
Pei Yan: “…”
All she wanted right now was to go home and lie down.
“I don’t eat after six.”
Fu Huaizhou glanced at her: “…To maintain your figure?”
Pei Yan used her bag to cover her exposed pale legs: “What are you looking at?”
Fu Huaizhou: “It was just a passing glance. What could I possibly see?”
Pei Yan: “…What else did you want to see?”
The corners of Fu Huaizhou’s mouth suddenly lifted: “What do you think I wanted to see?”
Their exchange resembled a tongue twister.
That smile seemed no different from flirtation in Pei Yan’s eyes. She snapped angrily: “What the hell are you laughing at?”
Fu Huaizhou completely failed to hold back, his soft laughter filling the car.
Pei Yan rolled her eyes at him, and only then did Fu Huaizhou restrain himself.
After that, no one spoke again. In the cramped space of the sports car, only the sound of each other’s breathing seemed audible.
Since Pei Yan wasn’t hungry, Fu Huaizhou didn’t insist.
He drove her to Xihe Garden, where seven or eight members of the Pei family resided—a sprawling three-acre Chinese-style mansion.
The security here was extremely tight, but Pei Yan’s face served as the most direct pass.
Although Pei Yan owned multiple properties, she always lived with her family.
The car stopped right at her front gate. Pei Yan thanked him and was about to get out when Fu Huaizhou suddenly called out, “Pei Yan.”
She turned to look at him. “What?”
Her tone wasn’t particularly friendly.
Fu Huaizhou’s deep eyes fixed intently on her as he asked, “Do you hate me?”