Chapter 31.2

Recalling the scene at the auction, Yun Yin knew she had frightened him. His current anger was merely the emotional backlash from his earlier worry.

Yun Yin sighed and took the initiative to apologize. “I’m sorry for making you worry.”

Pei Yu’s eyelids lifted slightly, his eyes unreadable. “You knew I’d be worried. Why did you still do it?”

She had clearly known her actions would cause him concern, yet she had acted anyway. The last time had been the same.

“But…” Yun Yin looked at him with an innocent expression, “if I hadn’t done that, the chandelier would have fallen on Cheng Wenwen.”

Pei Yu suppressed the violent urge rising within him and spoke slowly. “What if you hadn’t dodged in time?”

The chandelier would have fallen on her instead. Pei Yu couldn’t even bear to consider that possibility. The mere thought filled him with endless fear and panic.

“I…”

Yun Yin hadn’t had time to think about the consequences. She had simply acted on instinct, rushing forward to push Cheng Wenwen out of the way, forgetting that she herself might be injured.

After a moment of silence, Yun Yin whispered, “But… I’m fine now.”

Pei Yu’s gaze was dark and heavy, yet his tone remained surprisingly calm. “Are you sure you’re fine?”

“Who was the one crying uncontrollably just now, constantly complaining about the pain?”

Yun Yin froze, her face flushing crimson.

“Well, I’ve already done it,” Yun Yin muttered, biting her lip. “You’re not allowed to be angry with me.”

Pei Yu stared at her intently, his emotions churning.

Remembering Dr. Wilson’s warning about avoiding emotional stress, he forcibly suppressed his anger and said coldly, “Get some rest.”

He then turned and left her room without another word, leaving Yun Yin sitting on the sofa, utterly bewildered.

She knew he was worried about her.

But she couldn’t understand why Pei Yu was so furious.

Cheng Wenwen was safe, and Yun Yin had only sustained minor injuries. This was the best possible outcome.

She sat motionless for a long time until Aunt Lin pushed open the door.

Hearing the noise, Yun Yin instinctively called out, “Pei Yu…”

“Miss Yun, it’s me.”

Yun Yin finally recognized Aunt Lin and forced a weak smile. “Aunt Lin, is there something you need?”

“Mr. Pei said you injured your foot. He asked me to check if you needed any help.”

Yun Yin’s eyes brightened momentarily. “Where’s Pei Yu?” she asked, looking up.

“Mr. Pei…” Aunt Lin hesitated, recalling his dark, stormy expression when he left. “He’s gone out.”

“Gone out…” Yun Yin repeated softly, the light in her eyes fading again, her mood listless.

“Miss Yun?” Aunt Lin called out.

Yun Yin finally snapped out of her daze, forcing a smile. “Aunt Lin, could you please run some hot water for me? I’d like to take a bath.”

“Of course.”

After running the water, Aunt Lin noticed Yun Yin’s injured ankle and asked worriedly, “Miss Yun, do you need any help?”

Yun Yin shook her head. “No, just help me to the bathroom.”

Seeing her insistence, Aunt Lin didn’t press further. “Then call me if you need anything, Miss Yun. I’ll be right outside.”

Mr. Pei had specifically instructed her before leaving to keep a close eye on Miss Yun, given her injured ankle.

Remembering Yun Yin’s earlier reaction—she clearly cared deeply for Mr. Pei—Aunt Lin couldn’t understand how things had ended up this way between them.

Unable to make sense of it, she could only follow Mr. Pei’s instructions: watch over Miss Yun and call him immediately if anything seemed amiss.

A long while later, when Yun Yin safely emerged from the bathroom, Aunt Lin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Miss Yun, would you like something to eat?”

Yun Yin casually dried her hair and tossed the towel aside. “No, thank you. I just want to rest.”

“Very well, Miss Yun. Call me if you need anything.” With that, Aunt Lin closed the door and left.

Once again, Yun Yin was alone in the room.

At this hour, she should have been exhausted after a restless night. Yet she felt no trace of sleepiness.

She picked up her phone, opened WeChat, and stared at the pinned chat window. Her fingers danced across the keyboard, typing and deleting, typing and deleting.

[Where are you going?]

No, that sounds like an accusation. Delete and start over.

[Are you coming back tonight?]

Still not right. She deleted it all again and typed a few new words:

[I’m sorry. I was wrong.]

Yun Yin stared at the message, hesitating for a long time before finally deciding not to send it.

On the other end, Pei Yu watched the “The other party is typing…” notification on his phone, lost in thought. What could she possibly be typing? It’s been so long.

……

Time passed, and the notification eventually disappeared, but Pei Yu still hadn’t received a single message.

Reluctant to give up, he continued staring at the screen, but nothing came.

He scoffed, unsure whether to be angry or amused. Shaking his head, he tossed his phone aside and stopped looking.

Sprawling lazily on the sofa, his long legs splayed apart, he held a lit cigarette between his slender fingers, its tip glowing crimson.

The room buzzed with noise, but Pei Yu remained silent, puffing steadily on his cigarette. Through the swirling smoke, the emotion in his eyes remained hidden.

“I finally make it back, and this is how you treat me?” Xu Jingyi nudged Pei Yu with his elbow, eyeing his indifferent expression.

Lu Lin opened a bottle of wine and glanced at someone. “We’re swamped at the end of the year. It’s a miracle we could even find time to welcome you back and help you unwind.”

Qi Ye chimed in, “You have no idea how hectic the hospital is right now. I’ve pulled several all-nighters and specifically requested today off. You should be grateful.”

“Hey, come on!” Xu Jingyi protested, clearly annoyed. “So you’re both so busy, and I’m the only one with free time?”

Lu Lin and Qi Ye exchanged a look before turning to him, their expressions mirroring the same unspoken question: “Isn’t that the truth?”

Of the four of them, Xu Jingyi was the most laid-back, constantly traveling the world.

Xu Jingyi: “……”

“I’ve been busy lately too, okay?” Xu Jingyi insisted, nudging Pei Yu beside him. “Don’t believe me? Ask him.”

The two men looked puzzled. “How would Pei Yu know if you’re busy?”

“I spent weeks trying to get him in touch with a doctor,” Xu Jingyi explained. “I finally managed to reach them.”

Hearing this, a name flashed through both their minds simultaneously.

“You weren’t trying to contact Dr. Wilson, were you?” Qi Ye asked.

Xu Jingyi grinned. “How did you guess? Did Pei Yu tell you?”

Pei Yu hadn’t mentioned it, but Xu Jingyi knew that Dr. Wilson was the most renowned cardiologist in M Country, if not the world.

Pei Yu’s reason for contacting a cardiologist was self-evident.

Qi Ye’s gaze settled on Pei Yu, his tone pointed. “You’ll have to ask him about that.”

Clink! 

Xu Jingyi, as if struck by a sudden thought, abruptly set down his wine glass. “Pei Yu,” he asked, “I heard you’re seeing Yun Yin. Is that true?”

Though he wasn’t in Capital City, Xu Jingyi never missed a single piece of gossip from the capital.

At the mention of that name, Pei Yu’s fingers, holding his cigarette, paused. He lifted his eyelids slightly, neither confirming nor denying the rumor. “Do you know her?”

For a moment, Xu Jingyi hesitated, unsure whether to answer.

After a brief pause, he replied awkwardly, “Yes, I do.”

Pei Yu exhaled a plume of smoke, his features slightly distorted by the swirling haze. “How did you meet?” he asked slowly.

“Uh…” Xu Jingyi suddenly felt a pang of guilt under Pei Yu’s gaze. “We met through a blind date.”

“A blind date,” Pei Yu repeated softly, his voice low.

Seeing Pei Yu’s expression, Xu Jingyi immediately sensed something was wrong and hastily distanced himself. “We only met once, and that was it. We didn’t even exchange contact information.”

Pei Yu looked up at him. “You wanted to exchange contact information?”

Xu Jingyi: “……”

Pei Yu’s tone was indifferent. “When did you two meet?”

“Last summer, I think. She had just returned from studying abroad,” Xu Jingyi said, relying on a fading memory. “Her father introduced us. My mother insisted I meet her, so I went.”

“She was in a terrible mood. We left after less than ten minutes.”

That was truly all there was to it.

Blind dates?

Chen Shen.

Wang Li.

And now Xu Jingyi.

Pei Yu’s eyes darkened, his emotions becoming increasingly obscure.

As a longtime friend, Xu Jingyi had noticed Pei Yu’s foul mood the moment he walked in—or perhaps even earlier, though he had been suppressing it.

Except for the period when they founded Yujiang, Xu Jingyi had never seen Pei Yu smoke so heavily. He had been chain-smoking since he arrived.

Could it be about Miss Yun?

Xu Jingyi glanced discreetly at Lu Lin and nudged him with his leg, signaling, “What’s going on?”

Although Lu Lin was Pei Yu’s vice president, they weren’t together every day. How could he know if Pei Yu was in a bad mood?

But as Lu Lin recalled Pei Yu’s recent odd behavior, he quickly pieced it together.

Lu Lin and Xu Jingyi exchanged knowing looks.

But their silent understanding was interrupted by someone lacking tact.

“Pei Yu, you seem down. Spill it to us, man. Don’t think we don’t care.”

Lu Lin and Xu Jingyi: “……”

Pei Yu asked, “Do I look like I’m in a bad mood?”

Qi Ye replied, “Isn’t it obvious? Whatever’s bothering you, tell us. We’ll help you figure it out.”

Pei Yu thought of Yun Yin’s bewildered expression when they parted and the “Typing…” notification on his phone. He fell silent.

After a few seconds, he looked up to see Qi Ye’s eager face. For a moment, he must have been insane to even consider letting him analyze his problems.

Pei Yu leaned back on the sofa, his eyes half-closed. “It’s nothing. I’m just a little annoyed to see you.”

Qi Ye: “???”

Lu Lin and Xu Jingyi couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

After the laughter subsided, Xu Jingyi turned serious. “Pei Yu, you need to finalize things with Dr. Wilson soon. He’s planning an exchange program in Y Country later.”

“I know,” Pei Yu said, opening his eyes. “Thank you, Jingyi.”

Xu Jingyi draped an arm casually over the back of the sofa. “No need to thank me. It was no trouble at all.”

“I finally made it back home today. We’re drinking until we drop,” Xu Jingyi declared, refilling Pei Yu’s glass.

You don’t let me drink, so you shouldn’t sneak drinks yourself.

The girl’s petulant voice suddenly echoed in his mind.

Pei Yu’s hand froze mid-motion. A moment later, he set the glass back on the table and murmured, “You guys drink. I’ll pass.”

Xu Jingyi knew Pei Yu’s sensitive stomach couldn’t handle much alcohol, so he didn’t press him. He simply muttered, “Lame,” and resumed drinking with Lu Lin and Qi Ye.

Pei Yu’s gaze drifted to his silent phone, which hadn’t rung once all evening. A wry smile tugged at his lips as he chuckled self-deprecatingly.