Shen Qingyu tossed and turned in bed for about half an hour before finally cooling down the heat on her face.
Lying on her back, she stared at the ceiling and began to think things through calmly.
Her mother was definitely going to force her to get married. If she rejected Pei Huaijin, what would her mother do? She had already said it—“Mom will introduce you to other outstanding young men.” That wasn’t a threat; it was a warning. She would really go ahead and introduce them—one after another, until she was “willing.”
Shen Qingyu imagined being forced by her mother to meet different men every few days, sitting in different restaurants saying the same things, being scrutinized by different mothers with the same judgmental eyes, and then coming home only to be bombarded by Manlin Jiang with questions like “How was this one?” and “Did you like that one?”—just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.
Secondly, the Pei family’s influence was indeed strong. Over the years, she had come to understand that if she married Pei Huaijin, her living conditions would only improve, not decline.
Moreover, she could sense that Pei Huaijin was truly different from those playboys. She had seen too many men in their circle—driving sports cars around the city in their early twenties, showing off, changing female companions more frequently than phone cases, saying things like “let’s be friends” while their eyes roamed over you, as if calculating your worth.
But Pei Huaijin wasn’t like that. He wasn’t flashy or frivolous. His behavior was gentlemanly, and his every gesture reflected good upbringing. These details couldn’t be faked; someone pretending couldn’t be so natural.
Besides, he had said that night was his first time too. She believed him—not because she was naive, but because Pei Huaijin truly had no scandals. Everyone said he was disciplined, restrained, and kept his distance from women. And with that icy face of his, when he wasn’t speaking, he was like a wall—cold and hard, making people afraid to approach him. It was no wonder he had no women around him.
More importantly, she had already slept with him. Shen Qingyu closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She had always wanted to move past this, to pretend it never happened, to seal the memory of that night in a corner that would never be opened again. But reality wouldn’t allow it.
If she married someone else, would her husband know about this? Probably not, but she would. She would carry this secret for the rest of her life, feeling uneasy every time she ran into Pei Huaijin at some event, forcing a smile on her face. Just imagining that kind of life was ten thousand times more exhausting than marrying Pei Huaijin himself.
Shen Qingyu opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling again.
In her twenty-six years, she had never been in a relationship.
It wasn’t that no one had pursued her; she just didn’t want to. In high school, she was busy preparing for the college entrance exams. In college, she was busy applying to study abroad. After arriving at Stanford, she was busy with her master’s and doctoral degrees. Her life was packed with schedules, exams, and paper deadlines, and even sleep had to be squeezed in. Where would she find time for a relationship?
It wasn’t that she hadn’t dreamed of it, but those dreams were so vague that she couldn’t even articulate what kind of person she liked or what kind of relationship she wanted.
After all, her mother was determined to force her into marriage. After all, in her twenty-six years, she had never liked anyone, never felt her heart flutter for anyone, never known what it felt like to love someone. So, she might as well marry Pei Huaijin. At least she knew he wasn’t a bad person, at least she knew he wouldn’t fool around outside, at least she knew his family background and abilities were solid.
Alright then, that’s it—marry Pei Huaijin.
She didn’t need love, at least not now. She had lived twenty-six years without love and had gotten along just fine. What she needed was a stable, respectable marriage that wouldn’t cause her trouble, a marriage that would make her mother stop nagging, a marriage that would allow her to peacefully continue doing her own things.
And what Pei Huaijin could offer her was precisely this kind of marriage.
Shen Qingyu turned over and picked up her phone from the bedside table.
She typed a line of text, glanced at it, and pressed send.
“Mr. Pei, I’ve thought it over. I’ll marry you.”
The reply came quickly after she sent the message.
“Good. I’ll tell my parents we’ve decided to get married. Then we’ll find a time to register, announce our marriage, and hold the wedding.”
Shen Qingyu looked at these words, and her heart suddenly began to race.
She suddenly regretted sending the message so quickly, but it was already sent and couldn’t be taken back.
The words “register” were like two small stones thrown into the lake of her heart, stirring ripples that spread outward.
She took a deep breath and tapped a few words on the screen.
“So soon?”
After sending it, she felt those three words sounded like she was having second thoughts. She wasn’t trying to back out—she just needed some time to adjust. The leap from “single” to “married” was too big, with no “dating” as a buffer in between. She needed time to process it.
Pei Huaijin’s reply came quickly. “Haven’t you made up your mind?”
Yes, she had made up her mind. She should have made up her mind, right?
Shen Qingyu put her phone down and stared at the ceiling for a while.
Then she picked up her phone again and sent a message: “Alright, go ahead.”
After her reply, Pei Huaijin didn’t respond further.
Instead, Pei Huaijin sent a message to his mother: “Mom, Qingyu and I have discussed it. We’re planning to get married.”
Not long after the message was sent, Lin Wanru called.
He answered.
“Huaijin, have you and Qingyu really decided to get married?” Lin Wanru’s voice came through the receiver, filled with barely suppressed delight and disbelief. “You’re not just trying to make me happy, are you?”
“Yes, it’s true. We’ve made up our minds,” Pei Huaijin said, his tone flat.
“That’s wonderful!” Lin Wanru exclaimed, her relief almost overflowing through the phone. “Huaijin, I knew you two were sensible. Getting married early will put both your parents at ease. You don’t know this, but even though your father doesn’t say it, he’s more anxious than anyone. Now that you’ve decided to get married, he can finally sleep peacefully.”
Pei Huaijin tapped his finger lightly on the desk but didn’t respond.
“By the way,” Lin Wanru’s tone suddenly turned serious, “I need to find someone to calculate an auspicious date for your registration and wedding. This can’t be taken lightly—I have to find a well-known master to pick the most favorable day. I also need to coordinate with Aunt Jiang so we don’t end up with conflicting dates.”
“Alright.”
“Also, we should first release the news of your marriage alliance with Qingyu. I believe once the news is out, the group’s stock price will definitely soar!”
“Mhm.”
“Alright, I won’t keep talking to you now, dear. I need to call your Aunt Jiang.”
“Mhm.”
After hanging up, Lin Wanru immediately dialed Manlin Jiang.
“Wanru, calling at this hour,” Manlin Jiang’s voice came through the receiver, “is something the matter?”
“Manlin,” Lin Wanru’s voice carried an irrepressible joy, “Huaijin just told me he and Qingyu have agreed to get married. Has Qingyu mentioned it to you?”
There was silence on the other end of the line for several seconds.
“What did you say?” Manlin Jiang’s voice suddenly turned sharp with disbelief, “Is it true? Huaijin told you?”
“It’s true, I just hung up with him.” Lin Wanru’s eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. “From the sound of it, Qingyu hasn’t told you yet?”
“Oh my—” Manlin Jiang’s voice drew out, filled with a relieved and unburdened delight, “That child! After she came back today, I asked her how it went, but she didn’t say anything and just went upstairs. I thought she wasn’t too pleased, and it had me worried. To think she and Huaijin had already agreed, and she didn’t even hurry to tell me.”
“Ah, Qingyu might just be a bit shy,” Lin Wanru said with a laugh. “It’s fine. As long as the two kids are willing to marry, that’s the greatest blessing.”
“It really is wonderful. This weight in my heart can finally be lifted.” The joy in Manlin Jiang’s voice seemed ready to spill out from the receiver.
“Absolutely,” Lin Wanru leaned back on the sofa, curling her legs up and sinking into the soft cushions, her voice brimming with contented happiness. “Let me tell you, I introduced so many girls to Huaijin before, and he didn’t take a liking to any of them. But after meeting Qingyu, he said he wants to marry her so quickly.”
“It’s their destined fate,” Manlin Jiang said with a smile.
“Yes, yes,” Lin Wanru agreed, laughing. “Tomorrow, I’ll have someone calculate an auspicious date for their marriage registration and wedding. I’ll let you know, so you don’t have to trouble yourself finding someone to do it.”
“Alright, then I’ll leave it to you, dear in-law,” Manlin Jiang replied cheerfully.
“Ah, it’s no trouble at all. I’m just happy.”
The two chatted about this and that for a while longer before finally hanging up.
Lin Wanru placed her phone on the coffee table, leaned back against the sofa, and the smile on her lips never faded.