She quickly folded a “treasure” from paper.
This was the most popular game among young boys in this era, sweeping the entire nation. The paper was folded into a square shape with two distinct sides, then slammed forcefully onto the ground. Whoever could flip the opponent’s “treasure” with the wind generated by their throw would win.
The loser not only had to surrender their “treasure” to the winner for free but would also suffer a significant loss of face.
Pei Xiaochuan glanced at the “treasure” in her hand and curled his lip disdainfully.
“Trying to bribe me with this? I can fold them myself, and mine are super awesome.”
Proudly, he pulled a “treasure” from his pocket and slammed it onto the ground with a crisp, pleasing sound.
Su Qingyi raised an eyebrow slightly.
Without saying a word, she deftly threw down her own treasure.
Effortlessly, she flipped his over.
Pei Xiaochuan stomped his foot in frustration.
“You’re an adult bullying a kid!”
Su Qingyi picked up the “treasure” and handed it to him.
“Try it yourself, and you’ll see mine is a hundred times better than yours.”
Proud children are the easiest to provoke.
Pei Xiaochuan immediately snatched it from her, and as soon as he held it, he was stunned.
The “treasure” was not only exquisitely crafted and sturdy but also exceptionally thin.
It had actually defeated his “Mighty General”—a treasure he had carefully folded using paper of just the right hardness.
Unconvinced, he tried it himself. The moment he slammed it down, he felt the remarkable resilience of the “treasure,” which once again flipped over his pride and joy, the Mighty General.
Truly extraordinary.
He nearly jumped for joy, but the smile on his lips quickly faded.
“I… I won’t be bribed by you. My second uncle won’t like you.”
Su Qingyi bent down to meet his gaze.
“Don’t worry, I won’t like your second uncle either.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she looked up and saw Pei Zhao standing at the doorway, having appeared at some unknown moment.
His face was cold, his eyes filled with mockery as he stared at her.
Clearly ridiculing her for saying one thing and doing another.
She felt instantly awkward.
Some things were better clarified sooner rather than later.
Perhaps she could still stay for the full three months and secure her first startup fund.
Peeking outside and confirming that the Political Commissar had already left, she quickly stepped forward to explain, “Regiment Commander Pei, about what happened earlier…”
“It’s time to cook!”
The man clearly had no intention of engaging with her. He turned his wheelchair toward the desk on the balcony, pulled open a drawer, took out twenty yuan, and placed it on the edge of the table. His attitude was distant and stern. “Every expense must be recorded.”
Su Qingyi’s words caught in her throat.
This man was as cold as a cutting blade.
Well, time would reveal the truth. As long as she remained dutiful and focused on her responsibilities, the misunderstandings would naturally clear up.
She took the money and asked, “Do you or the child have any dietary restrictions?”
“No!”
The man didn’t even look up. His hand, holding a fountain pen, had knuckles as smooth as jade, long and elegant.
Bathed in the soft glow filtering through the glass, they shimmered with a pale, cold light, much like the man himself.
Su Qingyi withdrew her gaze and was about to leave when she noticed the teacup was empty.
She hurriedly picked it up, intending to refill it with water.
“Don’t!”
The man suddenly reached out and grabbed her wrist, his urgent stop tinged with restrained anger.
Su Qingyi had no idea where his anger came from. Pulled off balance, she stumbled, her elbow knocking against the edge of the table. The pain brought tears to her eyes. As she looked up to demand an explanation, her lips accidentally met the cold, sharp corner of the man’s mouth!
An unfamiliar scent washed over her.
Their eyes met, and she could even see her own reflection clearly in the depths of his gaze.
Along with his shocked disbelief.
Danger loomed like a lion baring its sharp fangs.
Su Qingyi didn’t sense even a hint of ambiguous ripples; instead, every hair on her body stood on end. Panicked and flustered, she quickly tried to push herself up, but her elbow was both sore and numb, utterly useless. Her body faltered, and this time, she solidly kissed the man’s lips.
The girl’s unique, refreshing fragrance filled his slightly parted mouth.
Soft and sweet, like peach-scented jelly.
It tempted one to suck gently, to taste its flavor.
“Wow, brother, Uncle and Auntie are kissing. Yanyan from kindergarten told me that when a boy and a girl kiss, they’ll have a baby. Are Auntie and Uncle going to give us a little brother or sister?”
Beside them, Pei Xiaoyun’s innocent, curious voice suddenly rang out.
Startled, the two quickly pulled apart.
Pei Xiaochuan immediately puffed out his cheeks in anger, covering Pei Xiaoyun’s eyes.
“You bad woman, big liar!”
With that, he quickly retreated into the room and slammed the door shut.
“Let me explain, I really didn’t mean to.”
Even in her past life, He Annian had never touched her, and she was at a loss too—this was her first kiss.
Su Qingyi felt both helpless and shattered.
Why did everything go wrong whenever she encountered this man?
From now on, unless absolutely necessary, she would stay far, far away from him.
The man threw the teacup onto the table with a loud thud.
He decided not to hide what he had overheard that day.
“Giving you a three-day trial was only to avoid disrespecting the Political Commissar. Are you in such a hurry to drug me and force the issue? Considering you saved Xiao Yun, I won’t send you to the inspection office for prison time. Leave!”
His lips, accidentally brushed just moments ago, still glistened with a captivating sheen.
Yet the words he spoke were so cold they made one’s heart burn with anger.
Su Qingyi finally understood why the man had been furious earlier.
So he thought she was planning to drug his water.
After a moment’s thought, she decided this man was too difficult to handle—it would be better to just tell the truth.
So she spoke directly.
“Regimental Commander Pei, I’ll be honest with you. My mother forced me into this marriage after taking three hundred yuan from the He Family. I don’t want to marry Company Commander He Annian, and I can’t go back with my mother, only for her to sell me off again to some butcher for a bride price to marry off my brother.”
“I happened to hear you were looking for a nanny, and you’re a Regimental Commander, higher-ranked than a Company Commander. So I used you to trick my mother, to make her give up on selling me off randomly. Everything you overheard was made up by me. I truly have no intentions toward you.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can search me! And just now, it was you who yanked me and made me bump my elbow—that’s why I lost my balance.”
As she spoke, she rolled up her sleeves, revealing fair, smooth arms with bruises on her wrist and elbow.
One from being gripped, the other from the impact.
The marks were clearly visible.
So delicate.
She clearly wasn’t lying.
Pei Zhao choked back his words, his gaze falling on those bluish-purple marks, feeling his throat grow even drier.
His fingers unconsciously clenched.
How could this woman be so delicate?
He hadn’t used much force earlier.
Seeing him purse his lips and remain silent with a cold expression, Su Qingyi struggled to contain her emotions.
“I admit I used you, but aren’t you at fault too? You moved your lips just now!”
Immediately, Pei Zhao was caught off guard and coughed softly.
He never expected this woman could say something so embarrassing so openly.
His face tightened as he growled sternly.
“I’ll investigate this matter thoroughly. You’d better not have any other ideas. Go buy groceries.”
His words were cold and stern, but his flushed ears still betrayed the emotions he couldn’t suppress at the moment.
Unfortunately, Su Qingyi didn’t notice. She had initially wanted to throw up her hands and quit.
But right now, she had nowhere to live and no money on her. Even if she wanted to start a business, she would need funds.
She bowed to Pei Zhao.
“I’ll make sure to stay far away from you in the future. And please, control yourself.”
With that, she turned and left.
Pei Zhao’s breathing grew rapid, and it took a long while before he softly exhaled a heavy breath.
Yet the soft, sweet sensation on his lips still stirred an itch deep in his heart.
One part of him stirred again.