Huang Lide was tactful enough not to linger. He patted Huang Rui on the arm and said, “Then we won’t interrupt President Shen and Mrs. Shen’s anniversary celebration. Please, enjoy yourselves.”
“Mhm,” Shen Luoxi nodded, making no effort to keep them. The two men bowed and turned to leave.
Pei Yu had successfully attended the celebration without losing her status as the school’s ambassador. Shen Luoxi wondered how the plot would shift from here; she couldn’t help but feel a lingering sense of worry.
However, the woman beside her seemed even more troubled.
“Thinking about Teacher Shi?”
After the men were gone, Shen Luoxi looked at Pei Yu. She still looked preoccupied; other than Shi Xiaoman, few people could make her wear such an expression.
Pei Yu’s eyes flickered as she met Shen Luoxi’s gaze. “Since when… did you learn to read people’s minds?”
In the past, if this person had guessed her thoughts, the next second would have brought an outburst of rage or a sharp slap. Now, she spoke with calm composure. Although Shen Luoxi had offered an explanation for her behavior before, the contrast was so stark that Pei Yu still hadn’t fully accepted it.
“I only read your mind, Mrs. Shen.”
Shen Luoxi turned and, in front of the crowd, gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind Pei Yu’s shoulder. Her touch was tender and seemingly full of affection. Pei Yu remained stoic, but the surrounding reporters seized the opportunity to snap photos frantically. This was guaranteed to be the headline of the night.
Once she finished, Shen Luoxi lowered her hand and stepped closer, whispering softly in Pei Yu’s ear, “The reporters are watching. Do you want me to play the role of the doting, devoted wife, or the cold, distant one?”
“Do as you wish,” Pei Yu replied, indifferent.
Shen Luoxi understood and slowly released her. “Then I’ll act normally and try not to bother you.”
“Is such a charade necessary?” Pei Yu’s face was cold.
“It’s not a charade,” Shen Luoxi denied, her eyes warm and sincere. “Because everything I’m saying is the truth.”
Pei Yu looked away, her heart heavy. With Shen Luoxi, violence and lies were equally damaging.
The two attended the rest of the celebration together. Shen Luoxi stayed half a step behind Pei Yu, maintaining a distance that was intimate yet respectful. Whenever anyone tried to strike up a conversation with Shen Luoxi, she would simply say, “I’m just here to accompany my wife. We aren’t talking business tonight; feel free to chat with her instead.”
The outside world had long rumored that their marriage was failing and that Shen Luoxi was unfaithful. Now, her polite and measured demeanor left people confused—was the gossip exaggerated, or was Shen Luoxi simply a master of disguise? Regardless, when President Shen spoke, people listened. Having made themselves known to her, they were happy to turn their attention to Pei Yu, knowing there would be future opportunities to network with the Shen family.
As a result, Pei Yu became the center of attention for the entire evening. She greeted wave after wave of guests until her throat felt dry and raspy.
“Xiao Yu, President Shen, thank you both for attending,” Huang Lide said at the end of the event, looking eager to please.
Pei Yu offered a faint smile. “The Principal is too kind. This is my alma mater; it’s an honor to be back. I should be the one thanking the teachers, students, and you, Principal, for such a successful event.”
Her words were smooth and gracious. Huang Lide beamed. “With a compliment like that, I’ll have the energy to stay in this position for a few more years.”
After the pleasantries were finished, Shen Luoxi took Pei Yu away early since she had work the next day.
As soon as the car door closed, the polite smile vanished from Pei Yu’s face. She leaned forward, looking for water to soothe her dry throat, but realized the car was empty of any refreshments.
“Here.” A cup was suddenly thrust toward her.
Pei Yu turned. Shen Luoxi was holding out a grey thermos. She unscrewed the lid and said, “Honey pomelo tea. It’s good for your throat. I had Zhou Jing prepare it.”
Zhou Jing turned around from the front seat to add, “That’s right. President Shen asked me to get it half an hour ago, saying you might need it. I bought a cup and put it in a thermos so it would stay warm.”
She was actually that thoughtful? Pei Yu was stunned. She hesitated to take it, unable to believe this was the work of the Shen Luoxi she knew. Thinking Pei Yu might be afraid it was poisoned, Shen Luoxi poured a small amount into the lid, raised it to her lips, and drank it down. “It’s not poisoned. Drink; your throat will feel better.”
Zhou Jing didn’t quite understand why President Shen would say such a thing, but she chimed in, “Yes, I bought it myself and poured it myself. No one else touched it. No ‘sasaeng’ fans got near it.”
Shen Luoxi and Pei Yu both looked at Zhou Jing. She had assumed Pei Yu was worried about stalker fans drugging her. Feeling the weight of their stares, Zhou Jing shrank back into her seat. “Should I take a sip too?”
“No need,” Pei Yu said quietly. She took the thermos and drank several large gulps. The sweetness of the honey and the fragrance of the pomelo coated her throat, easing the dryness. She felt significantly less exhausted.
Shen Luoxi took the thermos back, screwed the cap on, and placed it in the cup holder. “It’s been a long night. Get some sleep; I’ll wake you when we’re home.” As she spoke, she reached out and turned off the interior lights.
The car fell into darkness. Shen Luoxi wasn’t sleepy. She pulled out her phone and dimmed the brightness. The faint glow of the screen illuminated her focused profile—her long lashes, high bridge of her nose, and thin lips gave her a sharp, cold beauty.
Watching her, Pei Yu felt this person was a stranger, yet at the same time, this felt like how Shen Luoxi should have looked.
“Blanket.”
Realizing the AC was a bit low, Shen Luoxi pulled out a blanket and draped it over Pei Yu, her voice kept low. Every gesture was one of genuine concern.
Pei Yu found herself staring until she snapped out of it with a start. A shiver ran down her spine. Could I be developing Stockholm Syndrome? Am I falling for Shen Luoxi? Impossible, she thought, clutching the blanket and shaking her head to banish the terrifying idea. It was just that the contrast in Shen Luoxi’s behavior was so great that it created an illusion of a “prodigal daughter returning to the fold.” But Shen Luoxi wasn’t like that. People like her didn’t know the meaning of remorse.
Calming herself, Pei Yu set the blanket aside, leaned her head back, and fell into a deep sleep.
The road was quiet, and the car moved smoothly. Soon, Pei Yu’s breathing became heavy and steady. Hearing this, Shen Luoxi put down her phone, took the blanket, and carefully spread it over Pei Yu to prevent her from catching a cold.
She then returned to her phone. As she scrolled, her expression grew grim. Within ten minutes, the incident between Pei Yu and Zhang Min at the anniversary had hit the trending searches. The comments were flooded with claims of a “reignited old flame” and that Pei Yu was cheating on her spouse with Zhang Min. Others remarked on how “colorful” the couple’s life was—first Shen Luoxi’s cheating rumors, and now Pei Yu’s.
Shen Luoxi felt a surge of rage. Since when was her person allowed to be bullied by others?
She opened WeChat and messaged Sun Xingchao: “Handle the trending searches. Push the positive news about Mrs. Shen to the top. Also, look into this Zhang Min.”
Two minutes later, Sun Xingchao replied: “Understood, Miss.”
She then searched Zhang Min on Baidu. The results were cluttered with posts linking him to Pei Yu, like a stubborn piece of gum that wouldn’t unstick. The more she read, the more sinister the man appeared to her.
With Sun Xingchao on the case, the scandal was scrubbed within half an hour. It was replaced by a top-trending post about Pei Yu’s elegance at the anniversary. The top comments shifted to praising her beauty and the “power of the Shen family” in clearing the search results so quickly.
Satisfied, Shen Luoxi put her phone away and looked at the sleeping Pei Yu. Her mood improved instantly. This woman… she’s stubborn but cute. Shen Luoxi, oh Shen Luoxi, she thought to herself, do you love her, or not?
Ten minutes later, they arrived home. The driver parked in the underground garage. Shen Luoxi, who hadn’t slept at all, went to wake Pei Yu but stopped, fearing she’d be frightened if she saw her first.
“You wake her,” she whispered to Zhou Jing. “I’ll wait for you outside the car.”
“Sure.”
Zhou Jing unbuckled her belt and stepped out. As the automatic door slid open, she gently called out, “Teacher Pei, wake up. We’re home.”
Pei Yu opened her eyes groggily. Seeing Zhou Jing, she hummed in response, pushed the blanket aside, and unbuckled her seatbelt. She stepped out of the car, slightly unsteady from sleep. Shen Luoxi wanted to reach out and steady her, but she held back.
Zhou Jing handed Pei Yu her things. “Your bag and phone. I’ll pick you up at 10:00 AM tomorrow to meet the director and screenwriter of As Such.”
“Alright. Thank you for your hard work.”
Pei Yu took her belongings, noticing Shen Luoxi waiting a short distance away. She had actually woken up earlier in the car; she knew Shen Luoxi had covered her with the blanket and had asked Zhou Jing to wake her to avoid scaring her. She truly couldn’t fathom how someone could change so drastically.
Angel and demon… a single thought apart?
“Let’s go back,” Shen Luoxi said softly.
Now that it was just the two of them again, Shen Luoxi seemed even more cautious than Pei Yu, terrified of doing anything that might frighten her.
Pei Yu nodded solemnly. “Mhm.”