“Then, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the gym this morning, they set off confetti cannons, and the streamers rained down all over everyone’s heads. Everyone else just brushed them off with their hands. But you? You followed right behind Young Master Chen and patiently picked them off, strand by strand. You were so gentle and attentive!”
Wen Shuyu was left speechless.
Just who was Pei Jiangchen? Would it have been appropriate to smack and pat his head as if one were inspecting a melon?
“Later, when he was interacting with the crowd, a bunch of girls kept crowding toward him, and a few of them even fell over. I noticed that you pulled Young Master Chen away before they could even hit the ground, you didn’t let them touch him at all.”
“That was just…”
“I know, protecting Young Master Chen is part of your job. But the anxious look on your face, shielding him with your arm and blocking him with your own body…” Amanda gestured excitedly. “It looked exactly like a boy protecting the girl he loves!”
Pei Jiangchen’s brow twitched violently.
“Young Master Chen isn’t a girl.” Wen Shuyu stepped out of the car. “You’d be in big trouble if he heard you say that.”
“Oh, I misspoke!” Amanda hurriedly slapped her own mouth. “So, was I right?”
“Where are you even getting this from?” Wen Shuyu felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. “Those were all things within the scope of my duties. How did they get twisted into something else when you describe them?”
“I’m not done yet.” A girl who had become obsessed with a fantasy wouldn’t be brushed off so easily. “There was an uneven rubber mat on the gym floor that none of us noticed. Only you—two steps ahead of everyone else—stepped on the curled-up edge to hold it down. Young Master Chen walked right over it while chatting with someone, so he didn’t trip.”
What else was he supposed to do? Let the eldest grandson of the Pei family fall flat on his face in front of everyone?
Wen Shuyu was screaming internally, yet he managed to maintain a patient, faint smile on the outside. “And then there was that moment earlier, you were the one who spotted someone up to no good. Even from that distance, you managed to rush over just in time to shield Young Master Chen from the water. What do all these things prove? They prove that your eyes never once left Young Master Chen! That’s the only reason you could notice things others missed and react so quickly.”
Pei Jiangchen’s eyelids drooped slightly, with his hands tucked into his trouser pockets, his posture was far more relaxed than before.
Amanda grew excited. Her voice became a bit clamorous, yet it was impossible not to listen closely.
“True feelings show in the details. There’s a world of difference between simply doing your job and protecting someone from the bottom of your heart. You couldn’t go to such lengths unless you cared deeply about the person, right?”
Pei Jiangchen lifted his gaze again, looking past the RV toward the two figures standing opposite.
“So!” Amanda clapped her hands, drawing her conclusion. “You definitely like him!”
Wen Shuyu took a deep breath, realizing that if he wanted to maintain his persona, he really couldn’t win an argument with this young girl. So, he chose the best of the Thirty-Six Stratagems: he turned on his heel and bolted.
“Hey, why are you running? Is that an admission?” Amanda chased after him. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell a soul. For us assistants, harboring a secret crush on the boss is just asking for trouble…”
Their voices faded into the distance. Only then did Pei Jiangchen step out from the shadows behind the vehicle, his handsome face wearing an expression of cool indifference.
“Young Master Chen,” Brother Guang said, approaching him. “It’s time for the group photo; they’re asking you to head over there.”
Pei Jiangchen turned calmly and strode toward the crowd.