Pei Xi woke up early to find that Si Ruohan had already left for work.
It seemed she had overslept again. Sunlight streamed brightly through the window—another beautiful day.
Stretching lazily, Pei Xi noticed something on her hand.
A ring.
She stared at it in surprise:
“When did he put this on me? He didn’t give it to me when I was awake last night, but he slipped it on while I was asleep? What kind of man does this!”
She realized it must have been given last night—what a day-long surprise!
Pei Xi examined the ring and thought it looked quite good on her finger. The size was perfect.
It was a simple yet fashionable ring, with a slender silver band and clean, flowing lines. Though not overly decorated, it radiated a pure, elegant beauty.
On the surface of the ring was a heart-shaped pink diamond, sparkling brilliantly like the brightest star in the night sky. Its understated design was exquisitely refined.
It was suitable for wearing out—Pei Xi hated drawing unnecessary attention, and this ring was just right: small, stylish, and easy to match with any outfit.
But when had Si Ruohan measured her finger? She had no memory of it at all.
Pei Xi took off the ring to examine it more closely and noticed engravings inside:
SRH&PX
Could it be the initials of their names?
She wanted to call Si Ruohan immediately to ask, but worried he might be in a meeting, so she just sent a message.
To her surprise, Si Ruohan called her back via video. Seeing her still in bed, he smiled:
“Just woke up? Just saw the ring, huh?”
Pei Xi pouted:
“Yes! It scared me! When did you plan this?”
Did their relationship really need a ring?
Si Ruohan chuckled:
“It’s been a while. I didn’t tell you beforehand because I wanted it to be a surprise. Do you like it, or should the diamond be bigger?”
He could easily afford a bigger diamond, but he knew Pei Xi preferred delicate, refined things. He had also ordered a larger diamond ring, still in production, along with matching earrings, necklace, and bracelet.
He raised his right hand for her to see:
“I’ve got mine too. There’s more jewelry coming, I’ll send them all when they’re ready.”
Pei Xi thought it wasn’t really necessary—they were just dating publicly, and the ring almost made it look like they were married. But if Si Ruohan wanted to wear it, she’d let him—he could block a few wandering eyes this way.
“How did you know my ring size? When did you measure it? I have no recollection. Did you secretly do it?”
Si Ruohan gave her a meaningful look:
“After you fell asleep from being tired.”
Ah! She remembered—they hadn’t yet fully completed everything physically, but Pei Xi was already pregnant and easily fatigued. Sometimes, while she was asleep, he noticed a missing ring and decided it was necessary. They were already married in spirit, so a wedding ring made sense. He prepared this secretly as a surprise.
Pei Xi rolled her eyes but said:
“Alright, I get it. Go focus on work. Don’t let me disturb you. We’ll talk tonight if needed.”
Si Ruohan nodded:
“Okay. You better get up and eat before the baby starts kicking.”
Just as she was about to hang up, he asked if she wanted to come to the company.
“No, I just went last week. I don’t feel like going recently,” she replied. Being there, everyone was working—she wouldn’t dare just play around.
After finishing the call, Pei Xi got ready for breakfast. Looking in the mirror, she saw her skin was fair and glowing, and her belly was still flat. She felt no need to wear maternity clothes yet; no one knew she was pregnant.
After enjoying Liu Ma’s carefully prepared breakfast, Pei Xi remembered her best friend here. She hadn’t contacted her since their last call and wondered how things were going with Xu Haoyang—whether her friend had been accepted by her family.
Pei Xi sent a message to Peng Jiao, who replied shortly after.
Pei Xi was delighted—had her friend finally been forgiven by her family? Released from restrictions?
They arranged to meet for lunch. Peng Jiao had a lot to say and clearly couldn’t wait for Pei Xi to message her. They really did have a kind of telepathy.
Pei Xi, having plenty of free time, happily agreed. She told Liu Ma she’d skip lunch at home to meet her friend.
Last time, after Pei Xi drove for Si Ruohan, he gave her a car since she hadn’t completed her driving lessons. It wasn’t extravagant, just a classic white color she had chosen—visible enough to avoid accidents.
Si Ruohan left her free to accept it, and once she got used to it, she could consider upgrading later.
Now Pei Xi drove her car to the restaurant to meet Peng Jiao. Traffic wasn’t heavy, and she arrived smoothly.
Peng Jiao was waiting at the entrance, shocked to see Pei Xi driving her own car.
She knew Pei Xi’s situation—had it only been a short while since their last meeting, and she could already afford such a car?
“This car must cost tens of thousands at least! Did you win the lottery or something?” Peng Jiao exclaimed.
Pei Xi smiled, shaking her head.
Peng Jiao scolded her gently:
“You’re still renting, and you buy a car? Save money to get a house first! Even if it’s small, you need a place of your own!”
In the expensive city of Jing, a modest home might not be luxurious, but it would at least give her a little nest to call her own.