Chapter 43

A silent gaze lingered for a moment.

Sheng Qingli raised her hand and poked his shoulder. “How about we chat?”

Pei Qingci took hold of her fingers and kissed them near his lips. “What do you want to talk about?”

“There’s a question that’s been weighing on my mind,” Sheng Qingli said candidly.

Pei Qingci replied, “Go ahead.”

“Did you hate me before?” Sheng Qingli asked.

Pei Qingci furrowed his brow, not quite understanding. “Why would I hate you?”

Sheng Qingli: “…I said that to you back then.”

Pei Qingci: “What did you say about me? That being with me would hinder your development?”

Sheng Qingli quickly replied, “That wasn’t my true feeling.”

Pei Qingci: “I know.”

Sheng Qingli: “Huh?”

Pei Qingci looked at her, “I know that wasn’t your true feeling. I’ve always known.”

Because he knew, he couldn’t hate her.

Sheng Qingli frowned, “Then why…”

Pei Qingci: “Hmm?”

He lowered his gaze, looking intently at her, “What’s wrong?”

After a moment of silence, Sheng Qingli asked, a bit aggrieved, “You don’t want to see me.”

Though after their breakup it was best for exes to act like they were dead and not disturb each other, now that they were back together, Sheng Qingli felt it was time to address the past.

At the very least, the concerns weighing on her heart needed to be discussed clearly.

Pei Qingci frowned, “When did I say that?”

“After that time,” Sheng Qingli replied, surprised. “Did you forget?”

Pei Qingci didn’t recall the incident and pondered, “Did you hear me say it directly, or did someone else tell you?”

“I heard your phone call with your manager,” Sheng Qingli informed him.

Actually, when Sheng Qingli and Pei Qingci first broke up, they hadn’t purposely avoided meeting at the same events.

They just happened not to cross paths.

At that time, both were newcomers, and the company wasn’t supportive. Due to Pei Qingci’s contract termination process, they had fewer activities.

It was later that they developed an unspoken agreement to avoid the same occasions.

This agreement was triggered by a phone call.

The day after Pei Qingci contacted Sheng Qingli, she encountered his former manager, Teng Wenhua, at a hotel.

Teng Wenhua hadn’t noticed her presence; he was in front while she walked slowly behind.

At that moment, Teng Wenhua was on the phone, speaking with Pei Qingci.

The two had an event to attend together the next day, as the organizers had invited them. Sheng Qingli was there because of the invitation.

When she saw Teng Wenhua, she wondered why Pei Qingci wasn’t with him, especially since the organizers had invited him. Did he not want to see her, or was there another reason?

Sheng Qingli thought about this and quieted her footsteps.

Then, she heard a clear voice ahead, “You’re really not coming?”

Teng Wenhua seemed frustrated with Pei Qingci: “Why? You haven’t completely terminated your contract with the company yet. Is it because you don’t want to see Sheng Qingli, or is there another reason?”

They weren’t far apart, and Sheng Qingli heard Pei Qingci reply on the other end, “Hmm.”

“What does ‘hmm’ mean?” Teng Wenhua raised his voice, “You really don’t want to see Sheng Qingli?”

Pei Qingci replied coldly, as if holding back, “What’s the problem?”

Teng Wenhua was left speechless.

Sheng Qingli, following behind, also stopped.

Teng Wenhua’s phone call ended shortly after.

Once he hung up, he noticed Sheng Qingli behind him.

For a moment, he showed a fleeting embarrassment, “Qingli… long time no see.”

Sheng Qingli feigned calm and smiled, “Long time no see.”

She reached her room door and raised her hand to signal, “Brother Teng, I’ve arrived at my room. I’m going in first.”

“Wait.” Teng Wenhua stopped her, “Did you hear what Qingci just said?”

Sheng Qingli hesitated, then nodded, looking up at him, “Don’t worry, Brother Teng, I won’t tell anyone.”

Teng Wenhua paused, “Okay, as long as you’re aware. I’ll be going now.”

Sheng Qingli nodded.

After that phone call, once Sheng Qingli signed a management contract with Lin Lin, she deliberately mentioned that they wouldn’t attend any events where Pei Qingci was confirmed to appear.

If he didn’t want to see her, then she would respect his wishes.

After hearing Sheng Qingli, Pei Qingci finally remembered that incident.

He opened his mouth, feeling somewhat powerless, “That comment wasn’t directed at you.”

It was because Teng Wenhua kept asking; he knew that mentioning Sheng Qingli’s name would provoke him and elicit his emotions.

Thus, when Teng Wenhua repeatedly brought up Sheng Qingli, Pei Qingci went along with it to make Teng Wenhua stop asking.

He hadn’t anticipated that Sheng Qingli would overhear.

“He didn’t mention anything about meeting me?” Sheng Qingli pressed.

Pei Qingci shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I didn’t go that day, not because of the contract termination, nor because you rejected me the day before.”

He was ill.

That was also why Pei Qingci felt a bit agitated when Teng Wenhua kept calling.

After a moment of silence, Pei Qingci caressed her cheek and whispered, “I thought you completely didn’t want to see me.”

Since Pei Qingci’s call, after discussing with Lin Lin, she arranged for any event where Sheng Qingli was invited to confirm whether Pei Qingci would attend. If he was going, they would not participate.

Teng Wenhua’s actions naturally reached Pei Qingci’s ears.

Knowing it was Sheng Qingli’s idea, and recalling her previous comments about wanting to focus on acting, he naturally assumed she didn’t want to see him.

In unnecessary situations, as long as Sheng Qingli attended, Pei Qingci would tactfully avoid appearing.

Over time, rumors of an unspoken agreement between the two spread in their circle.

“…”

After laying everything out, Sheng Qingli was stunned. “So… it was all a misunderstanding?”

Had she known it was a misunderstanding when Pei Qingci showed up on Director Zhong’s set, she wouldn’t have hesitated or doubted so much.

Sheng Qingli wasn’t particularly slow to react.

If the memory of Pei Qingci disliking her didn’t exist in her mind, she wouldn’t have thought she was overthinking it when his hints were so obvious.

For a moment, Sheng Qingli felt an inexplicable gloom.

Noticing her emotional shift, Pei Qingci raised his hand and gently patted her back. “Sorry, it’s my fault.”

If he hadn’t clashed with Teng Wenhua at that time and had followed through with his words, they wouldn’t have been avoiding each other for so many years.

Sheng Qingli buried her head in his embrace and asked, “Is Teng Wenhua managing new talent now?”

Pei Qingci understood her meaning and responded, “Should I handle this?”

If they didn’t realize Teng Wenhua was doing it intentionally by this point, they were being too slow-witted.

They had previously refrained from thinking too much because the other had clearly said they were breaking up, leading both to avoid the impossible. They subconsciously believed that this behavior was right and reasonable.

Sheng Qingli affirmed, “Don’t let him off easy.”

Pei Qingci lowered his voice, affectionately holding her face and kissing her, his voice husky. “I know.”

With the biggest doubt resolved, Sheng Qingli temporarily couldn’t recall those trivial matters to ask.

Pei Qingci kissed her again. She felt a bit dizzy and actively nestled in his arms. “Pei Qingci…”

Pei Qingci gently bit her lower lip, fingers threading through her hair. “Hmm?”

“We’ll sleep after just a little more kissing,” she murmured.

Pei Qingci chuckled softly and hoarsely agreed, “Okay, just a little more.”

Though they said it would be just a moment, once their lips met, neither felt it was enough.

A long while passed.

Finally, when Sheng Qingli could hardly bear it any longer, Pei Qingci released her and held her as they fell asleep.

---

The next morning, Pei Qingci’s biological clock forced him to wake up early.

When he woke, Sheng Qingli was still asleep. Her face was serene and gentle, beautiful and cute. The fresh scent from her body filled his senses, bringing an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

After a brief pause, Pei Qingci ignored his morning bodily reactions and tried not to wake her.

They had stayed up too late; she rarely had a chance to return home after finishing filming, yet he had kept her up.

Pei Qingci closed his eyes, calmly exhaling, then quietly left the room to wash up in the downstairs bathroom.

After washing up, he called his friend Yu Tingyun outside the circle.

“So early,” Yu Tingyun answered, a bit surprised. “What’s up?”

Pei Qingci: “Help me with something.”

Yu Tingyun: “Go ahead.”

“Have Uncle Qian bring two sets of clothes to my house,” Pei Qingci said casually.

Fang Li and Xiang Rong hadn’t returned to Beicheng yet.

Pei Qingci couldn’t let anyone else know about his relationship with Sheng Qingli for now. After thinking it over, he could only ask Yu Tingyun, an outsider.

Of course, there was another reason to ask him—they lived in the same neighborhood.

Hearing this, Yu Tingyun raised an eyebrow and asked deliberately, “Whose clothes, yours?”

Pei Qingci: “Who else?”

Yu Tingyun scoffed lightly. “Send me the address.”

Pei Qingci: “Thanks.”

After expressing his gratitude, Pei Qingci remembered something. “Help me with one more thing.”

Yu Tingyun: “Let’s get it all done in one go.”

He sounded rather indifferent.

Pei Qingci smiled and pinched his brow, saying, “Have someone look into Teng Wenhua.”

Yu Tingyun thought the name sounded familiar and asked, “Your former manager?”

Pei Qingci confirmed.

“Got it. Anything else?” Yu Tingyun understood the assignment.

Pei Qingci: “That’s all. Goodbye.”

Yu Tingyun: “…”

Watching the call end, Yu Tingyun smirked, choosing not to dwell on it for now.

Half an hour later, Uncle Qian delivered the clothes Pei Qingci had requested.

Changing into his own clothes, Pei Qingci headed to the kitchen, planning to make breakfast. Opening the fridge, he unsurprisingly found nothing but steaks, fruit, and a few bottles of expired milk, along with face masks.

Pei Qingci rubbed his temples in frustration, glanced at the time, and decided to step out.

Sheng Qingli woke up two hours later.

When she opened her eyes, she felt as though she had just experienced an extremely long dream. The dream included Pei Qingci, herself, and many people she used to know.

Staring blankly at the chandelier on the ceiling for a while, Sheng Qingli turned her head to look at the empty bed next to hers, feeling a bit disoriented.

Surely, she hadn’t just been dreaming last night.

Just as she was lost in thought, footsteps sounded outside the door.

The door was pushed open, and Sheng Qingli looked up to meet the gaze of the person standing in the doorway.

A few seconds passed before Pei Qingci snapped back to reality. He looked at her intently and asked, “Just woke up?”

Still dazed from sleep, Sheng Qingli nodded slowly, lifting her face to look at him. “You—”

Pei Qingci raised an eyebrow. “What about me? You didn’t drink last night.”

“…” Sheng Qingli choked a bit, quietly saying, “I didn’t forget.”

Relieved by her answer, Pei Qingci looked down. “Shall I carry you to wash up?”

“I can walk by myself.” Sheng Qingli wasn’t that weak, especially since they hadn’t gone all the way last night.

Pei Qingci smiled and said softly, “You can ask your boyfriend for help.”

Hearing him emphasize the word “boyfriend,” Sheng Qingli couldn’t help but chuckle, “Boyfriend.”

Pei Qingci replied, “Hmm?”

Sheng Qingli opened her arms, “Then, carry me to the bathroom.”

She changed her mind, deciding to let him take charge.

Pei Qingci smirked, “As you command.”

He bent down and picked her up, carrying her into the bathroom.

“Do you need me to squeeze toothpaste for you?” Pei Qingci asked.

Sheng Qingli replied without hesitation, “Yes.”

They stood in front of the sink.

Sheng Qingli took the toothbrush Pei Qingci handed her and, glancing up at the mirror, paused… her lips were still a bit swollen after a whole night.

Realizing this, she shot a resentful glance at him.

Pei Qingci noticed and, knowing he was at fault, rubbed his nose, “Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”

Sheng Qingli let out a light hum.

After washing up, they went downstairs.

Pei Qingci asked what she wanted to eat, and Sheng Qingli replied, “Let’s order takeout; I don’t have much food in the fridge.”

Pei Qingci said, “I bought some.”

Sheng Qingli exclaimed, “Huh?”

She was incredulous, “You called the supermarket for delivery?”

“…I went out to buy it,” Pei Qingci explained.

Sheng Qingli was stunned and asked in confusion, “If you went out to buy it, how did you get in?”

Pei Qingci looked at her, “You only have three passwords you commonly use.”

Sheng Qingli: “…”

She had forgotten that he knew the three passwords she used.

After three seconds of silence, Sheng Qingli asked curiously, “So how many times did you try?”

“Once.” Pei Qingci first tried her favorite password.

Sheng Qingli was speechless, “What did you buy?”

Pei Qingci asked, “What do you want to eat?”

Sheng Qingli blinked, “Anything I want?”

“Sure.” Pei Qingci glanced at the time, “But if it’s complicated, it might take longer.”

Sheng Qingli replied, “I can wait.”

Pei Qingci smirked, “What do you want to eat?”

Sheng Qingli said, “Let me see what you bought first.”

They walked to the fridge and, looking at the groceries Pei Qingci had brought back, Sheng Qingli blinked slowly, “Mr. Pei has a great memory.”

Everything he bought was what she liked.

Hearing this, Pei Qingci said without modesty, “I think so too.”

“…” Sheng Qingli was at a loss for words, then turned to him, “I want to eat braised beef short ribs.”

Pei Qingci nodded, “What else?”

“Sweet and sour pork ribs,” Sheng Qingli began listing, “Tomato scrambled eggs, mushroom soup, and blanched greens.”

Pei Qingci replied, “Sounds good.”

He turned to her, “Want to have a bowl of porridge first to fill your stomach?”

Sheng Qingli was surprised, “You made porridge too?”

Pei Qingci nodded.

Sheng Qingli was confused, “What time did you get up?”

“Seven.”

“…”

Sheng Qingli tried to recall that they had gone to bed around three last night.

“You should sleep a bit more in the future,” she said quietly, “I’m worried you’ll overwork yourself.”

Pei Qingci choked.

As Pei Qingci cooked in the kitchen, Sheng Qingli leisurely sipped on a bowl of porridge.

After finishing, she felt a little better.

The kitchen was filled with delicious aromas now and then.

Sheng Qingli peeked in, “Do you need help?”

Pei Qingci replied, “No need.”

He knew Sheng Qingli’s talent in the kitchen and didn’t dare let her help.

“Okay,” after being turned down, Sheng Qingli felt a tiny bit regretful, “Then I’ll go read the script?”

Pei Qingci said, “Sure.”

After going upstairs to fetch the script, Sheng Qingli resumed where she left off the previous night.

But for some reason, with another person in the house, she found it hard to concentrate. She kept glancing toward the kitchen, at the man focused on cooking.

After staring for half a minute, Sheng Qingli put down the script and walked to the kitchen doorway.

Pei Qingci turned, “Hungry?”

“Not really.” Sheng Qingli hesitated, “Do you really not want my help?”

Pei Qingci looked at her for a few seconds, “Actually, can you help me wash the greens?”

Sheng Qingli raised her eyebrows, “Sure.”

She walked over, took the greens Pei Qingci handed her, and a bit proudly told him, “I can make some healthy meals now.”

She was not as clumsy in the kitchen as she used to be.

Pei Qingci asked, “Healthy meals?”

Sheng Qingli said, “…I can pan-sear steaks without any problem.”

Pei Qingci replied, “Nice.”

Sheng Qingli beamed, “Right? I’ll treat you to steak sometime.”

“…” Pei Qingci chuckled softly, “I’m looking forward to it.”

They worked together in perfect harmony.

It was strange; although they had been apart for nearly five years, when they were back together, there was no noticeable distance or unfamiliarity.

They still understood and were familiar with each other.

After washing the greens, Sheng Qingli didn’t have much else to do.

But she didn’t leave; she stood at the kitchen doorway, playing on her phone while waiting.

Just then, Li Yuwei asked her what she was doing, and Sheng Qingli eagerly sent her a picture of Pei Qingci cooking.

Li Yuwei: “…”

Li Yuwei: “What did I do wrong for you to treat me like this?”

Sheng Qingli curved her lips and said, “You ask me what I’m doing; isn’t this the honest answer?”

Li Yuwei replied, “Did Mr. Pei specially go over to cook for you?”

Sheng Qingli thought of the lie she told last night and, feeling guilty, sent her a meme.

Li Yuwei exclaimed, “How infuriating.”

Sheng Qingli asked, “What’s infuriating about it?”

Li Yuwei retorted, “Isn’t it infuriating that I can’t eat?”

Sheng Qingli chuckled, “When you come back, I’ll treat you.”

Li Yuwei teased, “If Pei Qingci cooks, you’ll treat me?”

Sheng Qingli confirmed, “That’s how it is.”

Li Yuwei replied, “Ok, ok.”

After chatting with Li Yuwei for a while, Sheng Qingli felt a burning gaze.

She slightly raised her eyes and met Pei Qingci’s look, feeling a bit nervous as she licked her lips. “Is it done?”

Pei Qingci replied, “It’ll take a little longer.”

He paused, then asked softly, “Who are you chatting with?”

“Yuwei,” Sheng Qingli answered without hiding anything.

Pei Qingci hummed in acknowledgment, then suddenly said, “Stewing meat takes time.”

Sheng Qingli was puzzled. “And then?”

Pei Qingci replied, “Do you want to do something to pass the time?”

Sheng Qingli tilted her face up, vaguely understanding his meaning. “Aren’t you afraid—”

She couldn’t finish her sentence as Pei Qingci first sucked her lower lip and said, “I set an alarm.”

He captured her lips and mumbled, “We haven’t kissed yet today.”