The day Shen Qingyu returned to China, Pei Huaijin came back too.
As Pei Huaijin stepped off the plane, his phone powered on, and a call came through right away.
“Mother.”
“Huaijin, the driver’s waiting for you at the exit. Come straight home. We’ll have dinner here tonight.” Lin Wanru’s voice came through the receiver, warm as always.
“I have a meeting in a little while…”
“Cancel it,” she said. “Your father’s home too. There’s something we need to talk to you about.”
Pei Huaijin was silent for a few seconds.
“Understood.”
He hung up and headed for the exit.
The driver was already waiting. When he saw Pei Huaijin, he hurried over and took his suitcase.
“Mr. Pei, you must be tired after the trip.”
Pei Huaijin gave a quiet “Mm” and got into the car.
The car merged into traffic and headed toward the city center.
Pei Huaijin leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
He thought he’d forgotten what had happened three nights ago.
But the moment he closed his eyes, the scene from that night came back to him on its own.
He opened his eyes, loosened his tie, and looked out the window.
It had only been a one-night stand, but for some reason, ever since that night, he’d found himself distracted during meetings, his mind wandering often. He even thought of her while eating—and when he went to bed, he thought of her even more.
Pei Huaijin tugged irritably at his tie again.
Whatever the case, it was over. He wouldn’t see her again. There was no point thinking about it, he told himself.
The car stopped outside a Chinese-style villa.
Lin Wanru was already waiting at the entrance. When she saw him get out, she smiled warmly.
“You’re back. Are you tired?”
“I’m fine.”
“Go shower and change first. We’ll eat when your father comes down.”
“Mm.”
Pei Huaijin showered upstairs. By the time he came down, his father was already seated at the dining table.
Half of Pei Chengan’s hair had turned white, but he was still vigorous, and his presence alone commanded respect. He was the chairman of Pei Group. Although he had handed the day-to-day operations over to his son, he still had the final say on major matters.
“How did the negotiations in San Francisco go?” Pei Chengan asked.
“Very smoothly.” Pei Huaijin sat down. “The contract’s been signed. It goes into effect next month.”
Pei Chengan nodded and asked no more.
As Lin Wanru served Pei Huaijin some food, she said, “Huaijin, are you free tomorrow evening?”
“Tomorrow evening?” Pei Huaijin thought for a moment. “I have a business dinner, but I can cancel it. Is something going on?”
“Tomorrow evening, come with your father and Mother to one of the clubs owned by the group. The Shen family’s daughter has returned from abroad. We’ll have dinner together.” Her tone was casual.
Pei Huaijin’s chopsticks paused.
“The Shen family?”
“Yes. You’ll meet Auntie Jiang’s daughter, Shen Qingyu. You met her when you were little, though 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 said nothing.
“Her father, Shen Huaiting—you know of him, I’m sure. He founded Jingbei’s biggest law firm. Her mother, Jiang Manlin, is a renowned lawyer in the field, famous for never having lost a case. The Shen family has been practicing law for generations, so their connections and resources are second to none. If you marry the Shen family heiress, it would be a tremendous asset to Pei Group.”
Pei Huaijin picked up a bite of food but didn’t respond.
“Her maternal grandfather and your grandfather were old comrades-in-arms, too.” Seeing that he still wasn’t speaking, Lin Wanru went on. “Her mother and I have been friends for decades. With a relationship like ours, an arranged marriage is only natural.”
Pei Huaijin put down his chopsticks.
“Mother,” he said, “can I skip it?”
Lin Wanru glanced at him. She wasn’t angry; she just smiled.
“Huaijin, Mother knows you have high standards. You weren’t interested in any of the young ladies I introduced before. You thought some were all looks and no substance, or you felt others were too calculating and wouldn’t make good wives. I understand.”
She paused, then continued, “But this time, I promise you Qingyu is far more accomplished than any of them. She’s been a Good Girl since she was little—always a breeze for her parents to raise, excellent in both character and academics, and never any trouble. Her parents beam with pride whenever they talk about her.”
Pei Huaijin gave no reaction. He simply picked up his soup and took a sip.
“And,” Lin Wanru added, smiling, “she’s incredibly beautiful. I don’t think any of the young heiresses in Jingbei can hold a candle to her. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her the most beautiful girl in Jingbei. I’ll show you her photo. Once you see it, you’ll definitely agree to meet her.”
Pei Huaijin still said nothing.
Lin Wanru picked up her phone, swiped a few times, and held it out to him.
“Here, take a look at her photo. I asked her mother to send it to me a few days ago. She said it was taken at Stanford this year. Look—isn’t she beautiful?”
Pei Huaijin glanced down.
Then he froze.
The woman in the photo wore a white dress, her hair loose around her shoulders, smiling sweetly at the camera. She looked like the very picture of a good girl—the kind of daughter who made her parents proud.
But Pei Huaijin recognized her face.
Three nights ago, that face had been beneath him, flushed beyond belief, her eyes glistening as she bit her lip to keep from making a sound.
That face had told him, “Tonight’s my first time, so you’re lucky.”
After she’d fallen asleep, that face had curled up in his arms, as meek as a little cat.
Pei Huaijin stared at the photo for a few seconds, then let out a cold laugh.
Lin Wanru thought his laugh sounded icy and hurried to ask, “What’s wrong? Don’t you think she’s pretty?”
“No.” A glint of meaning passed through his eyes. “You were right, Mother. She really is beautiful.”
Lin Wanru’s eyes lit up. “So you’ll come tomorrow?”
“Mm.” The corners of Pei Huaijin’s mouth lifted slightly. “I’ll come.”
Delighted, Lin Wanru put down her phone and served Pei Huaijin another bite of food. “That’s more like it. You know your mother wouldn’t lead you astray.”
Pei Huaijin said nothing more and continued eating.
But the faint smile on his lips never faded.
A Good Girl? Her? How interesting.
What a coincidence.
He’d thought that night had been just an ordinary one-night stand, something he’d put behind him. He’d never see her again.
But tomorrow evening, he’d be sitting down to dinner with her—as a prospective marriage partner.
Pei Huaijin suddenly thought this was getting interesting.
He smiled again.
Tomorrow evening, he’d see just how this “Good Girl” behaved.