On the day Shen Qingyu returned to the country, Pei Huaijin also came back.
As Pei Huaijin stepped out of the aircraft cabin, his phone had just powered on when a call came through.
“Mom.”
“Huaijin, the driver is waiting for you at the exit. Come straight home; we’re having dinner at home tonight.” Lin Wanru’s voice came through the receiver, carrying her usual gentleness.
“I have a meeting later…”
“Cancel it,” she said. “Your father is also home; he has something to discuss with you.”
Pei Huaijin fell silent for a few seconds.
“Understood.”
He hung up the phone and headed toward the exit.
The driver was already waiting. Seeing him come out, he quickly stepped forward to take the suitcase.
“Mr. Pei, you must be tired from the journey.”
Pei Huaijin gave a noncommittal “Hmm” and got into the car.
The car merged into the traffic flow, heading toward the city center.
Pei Huaijin leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
He thought he had already forgotten about that night three days ago.
But as soon as he closed his eyes, the images from that night automatically surfaced in his mind.
He opened his eyes, loosened his tie, and looked out the window.
It was just a one-night stand, but for some reason, since that night, he had been absent-minded during meetings, often drifting off. Even while eating, he would think of her, and when sleeping, he would think of her even more.
Pei Huaijin tugged at his tie irritably again.
No matter what, it was over. He wouldn’t see her again, so there was nothing to dwell on, he told himself.
The car stopped in front of a Chinese-style villa.
Lin Wanru was already waiting at the door. Seeing him get out of the car, her face broke into a kindly smile.
“You’re back. Are you tired?”
“Not too bad.”
“Go take a shower and change first. We’ll start dinner once your father comes down.”
“Hmm.”
Pei Huaijin went upstairs to shower. By the time he came back down, his father was already seated at the dining table.
Half of Pei Cheng’an’s hair had turned gray, but he remained spirited and imposing even when sitting quietly. As the chairman of the Pei Group, although he had handed over daily operations to his son, he still had the final say on major matters.
“How did the business negotiations in San Francisco go?” Pei Cheng’an asked.
“Very smoothly,” Pei Huaijin replied as he sat down. “The contract has been signed and will take effect next month.”
Pei Cheng’an nodded and didn’t ask further.
Lin Wanru, while serving Pei Huaijin some dishes, said, “Huaijin, are you free tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow evening?” Pei Huaijin thought for a moment. “I have a social engagement, but I can cancel it. Is there something?”
“Tomorrow evening, come with your father and me to the club under the group. The Shen family’s daughter has returned to the country; we’ll have dinner together,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Pei Huaijin’s chopsticks paused slightly.
“The Shen family?”
“Yes, go meet your Aunt Jiang’s daughter, Shen Qingyu. You saw her when you were little, but you probably don’t remember. She just graduated from Stanford with a doctorate in law. She’s only twenty-six and exceptionally accomplished.”
Pei Huaijin didn’t respond.
“Her father, Shen Huaiting, you should know—he runs the largest law firm in Jingbei. Her mother, Manlin Jiang, is a renowned lawyer in the industry with an unbeaten record. The Shen family comes from a long line of lawyers, so their connections and resources are naturally unparalleled. If you were to marry into the Shen family, it would be a tremendous asset for our Pei Group.”
Pei Huaijin picked up a bite of food with his chopsticks but didn’t reply.
“Her grandfather and your grandfather were old comrades-in-arms.” Seeing he didn’t respond, Lin Wanru continued, “Her mother and I have also been friends for decades. With our kind of relationship, an arranged marriage is only natural.”
Pei Huaijin set down his chopsticks.
“Mom,” he said, “can I not go?”
Lin Wanru glanced at him, not angry, just smiling slightly.
“Huaijin, Mom knows you have high standards. All those young ladies I introduced you to before, you didn’t like a single one—either you thought they were all looks and no substance, or you found them too scheming, not suitable for a life partner. Mom understands.”
She paused, then continued, “But this Qingyu, I guarantee you, is far more outstanding than any of those young ladies. This child has been well-behaved since she was little, never giving her parents any trouble. She excels in both character and studies, never causing any drama. Whenever her parents mention her, their faces light up with pride.”
Pei Huaijin didn’t react, just picked up his soup and took a sip.
“And,” Lin Wanru said with a smile in her eyes, “she’s incredibly beautiful. I think none of those young ladies from Jingbei can compare to her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful girl in Jingbei. Let me show you her photo—once you see it, you’ll definitely want to meet her.”
Pei Huaijin still didn’t speak.
Lin Wanru picked up her phone from beside her, swiped a few times, and handed it to him.
“Here, take a look at her photo. Her mother just sent it to me a few days ago, said it was taken this year at Stanford. See? Isn’t she beautiful?”
Pei Huaijin glanced down.
Then he froze.
The person in the photo wore a white dress, her hair cascading loosely. She smiled sweetly at the camera, looking like the typical kind of good child who would make any parent proud.
But Pei Huaijin recognized that face.
Three nights ago, that face had been beneath him, flushed crimson, eyes glistening with tears, biting her lip to keep from making a sound.
That face had said to him, “This is my first time, so you’re getting a bargain.”
That face, after falling asleep, had curled up in his arms, as docile as a kitten.
Pei Huaijin stared at the photo for a few seconds, then let out a cold laugh.
Lin Wanru, sensing the chill in her son’s laughter, quickly asked, “What’s wrong? Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
“No,” he said, a glint of something unreadable in his eyes. “Mom’s right, she really is beautiful.”
Lin Wanru’s eyes lit up. “So you’ll agree to go tomorrow?”
“Mm,” Pei Huaijin’s lips curved slightly upward. “I’ll go.”
Lin Wanru was delighted. She put down her phone and picked up some food for Pei Huaijin. “That’s more like it. Would Mom ever steer you wrong?”
Pei Huaijin didn’t say anything more and continued eating.
But that faint smile at the corner of his mouth never faded.
A well-behaved girl? Her? Interesting.
What a coincidence.
He had thought that night was just a casual fling, already in the past, and he would never see her again.
But tomorrow night, he would be sitting down to dinner with her—as a potential marriage partner, no less.
Pei Huaijin suddenly felt this had become quite interesting.
He smiled again.
Tomorrow night, he would see just how this “well-behaved girl” would act.