Pei Yanzhou stopped teasing her, gently ruffling her hair.
Shu Hua’s phone rang.
She was about to get up, but Pei Yanzhou moved first. “Sit.” He pressed her shoulder down, walked to the other side, and picked up her phone from the table.
When he handed it to her, he casually draped the cashmere shawl lying nearby over her bare shoulders.
Shu Hua took the phone, seeing a video call request from “Mom.” Her heart warmed. She glanced at Pei Yanzhou; he hadn’t left, instead turning to tidy up the flower stems and tools scattered on the carpet.
She swiped to answer, her face lighting up with a soft, sweet smile.
“Hi, Mom~”
The screen showed a well-maintained, gentle, and beautiful face—Shu Hua’s mother, Lin Wanqing. Her features resembled Shu Hua’s about seventy percent, the kind of soft beauty that carried no edge, only a calm elegance shaped by the years.
“Ah, baby,” Lin Wanqing said warmly. “Have you eaten dinner yet?”
“Yes, Mom. What about you and Dad? Just out?” Shu Hua noticed the blue ocean and the yacht railing in the background.
“Yes, we just set off, feeling the sea breeze. Your dad and Pei Yanzhou’s dad are out on the deck fishing, while Pei Yanzhou’s mom and I stayed inside—it’s too sunny.” Lin Wanqing shifted the camera to show the other side.
Another stunning face appeared—Pei Yanzhou’s mother, Zhou Mingwei. She inherited the sharp, striking features of her son, with deep, sculpted, and captivating facial structure. Yet her eyes, when looking at Shu Hua, radiated only love, untouched by time.
“Pei Mom!” Shu Hua exclaimed sweetly.
After their wedding, both sets of parents had decided a big event like that deserved a vacation. Claiming it was “to reward ourselves,” they went off together for a holiday.
“Ah, Hua Hua,” Zhou Mingwei said with a laugh, carefully studying the screen. “You’re getting more beautiful! That glow, so rosy!”
“How are you and Yanzhou recently? Has that boy been teasing you? If he’s been mean, tell Mom and I’ll sort him out when I get back!”
Shu Hua instinctively glanced at Pei Yanzhou, who was carefully placing the freshly arranged roses into a side table vase. His focused, homey demeanor in this moment was a stark contrast to his usual cold, composed aura.
She couldn’t help but smile. “He hasn’t teased me. He… treats me very well.” Her words carried a natural, shy sweetness, impossible to fake.
As a mother, Pei Mom immediately saw through it and laughed even more heartily. “That’s good, that’s good! As long as you two are happy, we can enjoy ourselves without worry.”
Even though she personally picked her daughter-in-law, there was no reason not to like her. But she knew exactly what her son liked—quietly charming, introverted men, just like his father.
“By the way,” Zhou Mingwei continued, “Mom has her eyes on a small island in the South Pacific. The scenery is beautiful. In a couple of days, we’ll finalize it and buy it as a honeymoon gift for you. You can spend summers there to escape the heat.”
Shu Hua was taken aback and quickly waved her hands. “Mom, you don’t need to spend so much…”
She already owned nine islands in her own name before the wedding.
“Spend so much? It makes your mom happy.” Zhou Mingwei waved her hand decisively. “It’s settled!” After a few more casual words, Shu Hua hung up.
She set down her phone, heart light and happy. Raising her head, she realized Pei Yanzhou had already finished tidying up and was standing at the door, arms crossed, watching her.
“Done talking?” he asked.
“Mm,” Shu Hua nodded. Thinking of the island, she still felt it was a little over the top. “Pei Mom said she wants to buy an island for us…”
“Keep it if you like it.” Pei Yanzhou walked over, casually ruffling her hair at the top of her head. “It makes her happy.” He glanced at the time. “I still have some emails to reply to. You should rest early.”
“Okay.”
By Friday, Shu Hua’s design department officially ended at five; no overtime was required for interns. As soon as the clock struck five, she neatly shut down her computer.
Her phone vibrated—Pei Yanzhou had sent a message:
【There’s a final negotiation for the cross-border merger tonight; it might run late. If it ends late, I’ll stay at the office. Have Wang Uncle take you home—you don’t need to wait for me.】
Shu Hua replied: 【Okay, don’t overwork yourself, remember to eat.】
Although the work intensity wasn’t high, the routine had still left her a little tired. She planned to go home, take a long rose-scented bath, watch a movie, and sleep deeply.
Back home, Auntie Chen had already prepared dinner. Shu Hua ate simply, then went upstairs for the rose essential oil bath that Chen Yi had prepared. After drying her hair and changing into comfortable loungewear, she was about to pick a movie in the media room when Chi Yuchu called.
The moment Shu Hua answered, deafening music and Chi Yuchu’s crying voice blared through:
“Huahua… sob… Huahua, I broke up!”
“That bastard! He cheated on me behind my back! Damn him! I treated him so well… sob sob sob…”
Shu Hua’s heart clenched. “Yuchu? Where are you now? Why so loud?”
“At a bar! Breakup celebrations! sob To hell with their love!” Chi Yuchu shouted, loud enough to be heard over the music. “There are so many handsome guys here! Who cares who broke up with whom? I… I ordered ten male models to drink with me!”
She even hiccupped drunkenly. “Huahua… I’m so sad, can you come? I really want you…”
Shu Hua felt both worried and heartbroken. Chi Yuchu was fiery by nature but naive in love; this time she was truly hurt, drinking heavily alone in a bar—far too dangerous.
“Okay, okay, stop crying. Tell me the address. I’ll come right now. Don’t wander off, don’t drink anymore, got it?” Shu Hua soothed her while hurrying to the wardrobe.
She got the address—it was “Cloud Summit,” a famous luxury members-only bar in the city.
Shu Hua didn’t have time to overthink. She quickly changed into convenient clothes and went downstairs. The driver drove her straight there, and she spent the whole ride worrying about Chi Yuchu.
Arriving at Cloud Summit, Shu Hua froze for a moment. She had been protected since childhood, never stepping into a place like this, and she felt a little intimidated.
Following Chi Yuchu’s instructions to room 207, she walked through the dazzling, hazy lights of the first-floor lobby. The dance floor was packed with men and women moving wildly to the rhythm, the air thick with alcohol, perfume, and hormones.
Among all this, Shu Hua appeared like the only piece of pure, gleaming jade in a collection of fine porcelain.