Chapter 32.2

Some commenters offered advice, others watched the drama unfold, and still others seized the opportunity to pester Yun Yin for updates. She selectively replied to a few comments, briefly summarizing yesterday’s events.

– The blogger did nothing wrong. Her boyfriend was just overly worried about her, which is why he got so angry.

– To be blunt, everyone’s selfish. Her boyfriend probably doesn’t want her doing this, and I wouldn’t either. It’s too dangerous. Getting angry is a natural reaction—totally understandable.

– Agreed! +10086

– Link: How to Make Your Boyfriend Happy? These Tips Will Sweeten Your Relationship.

Yun Yin frowned slightly at the link. After a few seconds, she clicked on it almost against her will.

When she exited the page, she felt a jolt of shock. Could these methods actually work?

Yun Yin replied to all the comments offering her advice with a thank you, promising to release her next original song once she had appeased him.

The comment section erupted with delight:

– I’m practically bursting with anticipation!

– I hope that man knows what’s good for him.

– I’ve already taken a screenshot.

***

After considering the analysis of others, Yun Yin realized she had oversimplified the situation yesterday.

If Pei Yu was right, what would have happened if the chandelier had fallen and she hadn’t dodged in time?

Perhaps she would be the one lying in a hospital bed right now.

From her perspective, she had saved Cheng Wenwen and only sustained minor injuries—the best possible outcome. But for Pei Yu, it wasn’t enough. He cared only about her well-being.

His anger stemmed from worry for her safety.

Maybe she should follow the commenters’ advice: act a little coquettish, soften her tone, and try to coax him.

But she wasn’t very good at being coquettish. If all else failed, she could sing him a song. Pei Yu seemed to enjoy her singing.

With this plan in mind, Yun Yin felt her anxiety ease. She waited for Pei Yu to return that evening.

As evening fell, Yun Yin remained downstairs, sitting on the sofa and waiting for Pei Yu.

She was still pondering what to say when he returned when Aunt Lin approached with her phone. “Mr. Pei said he won’t be coming home tonight,” she announced.

Yun Yin froze, stunned. Her heart sank. All her afternoon preparations had been for nothing.

He must be truly angry with me, she thought. He doesn’t even want to come back to Cloud Lake…

He doesn’t want to see me.

Even on his busiest days, Pei Yu would always message her during mealtimes, reminding her to eat properly. But today, her WeChat—the one reserved solely for him—had remained silent. Not a single message from him all day.

Yet Yun Yin conveniently forgot that she hadn’t messaged him either.

She pulled out her phone and opened their chat window. Their last exchange had been two nights ago.

The more she thought about it, the more frustrated she became. A small surge of anger rose within her. If he’s angry, fine, but ignoring me? What kind of childish behavior is that?

In the next instant, she sent a voice message.

****

Yu Jiang Building, President’s Office.

Lu Lin picked up the documents Pei Yu had signed. Noticing that everyone else had already left for the day and Pei Yu showed no signs of leaving, he asked, “It’s time to go home. Aren’t you leaving?”

“It’s still early. I’ll finish up the remaining work. You can head home first,” Pei Yu replied without looking up, clicking open a file in his email.

The current phase of the City East New Port project was nearing completion, and there was no need for further overtime. Pei Yu’s behavior seemed unusual.

Previously, he had always left work promptly at the end of the day, even during busy periods, ensuring he was home by eight o’clock. What had changed today? To be precise, something had been off since last night.

Lu Lin asked, “Jing Yi is organizing another gathering. He asked if you wanted to join.”

Pei Yu immediately declined. “No.”

Now that it was after work and personal time, Lu Lin hesitated before asking, “Did you and Miss Yun have a fight?”

Pei Yu’s fingers paused mid-stroke on the keyboard, his tone remaining cold. “No.”

How could it be considered an argument if only one person was angry? It didn’t even qualify as a cold war.

“If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine,” Lu Lin said, knowing Pei Yu’s stubborn nature. If Pei Yu didn’t want to share something, no one could pry it from him. He stopped asking.

Suddenly, Pei Yu’s phone vibrated on the desk.

He picked it up and saw a message from Yun Yin.

He opened WeChat, and Yun Yin’s voice rang out:

“Pei Yu, why aren’t you home yet?”

Hearing her petulant tone, Pei Yu’s expression darkened.

Lu Lin, who was standing nearby, also heard the message. He chuckled. “Since someone’s urging you to go home, I won’t try to convince you to come to the bar with me. I’ll tell Jing Yi later. If that’s all, I’ll take my leave.” With that, he casually strolled out of the office.

Pei Yu was left alone in the vast office. His fingers twitched, and Yun Yin’s petulant voice echoed again in the quiet space:

“Pei Yu, why aren’t you home yet?”

After an indeterminate amount of time, Pei Yu put away his phone, which had already gone to sleep, shut down his computer, and rose to leave the office.

Yun Yin clutched her phone tightly, staring at the WeChat message that remained unanswered for far too long. An inexplicable wave of hurt washed over her. She stopped checking her phone and didn’t go upstairs, instead remaining seated on the living room sofa, lost in thought.

Half an hour later, the living room door swung open, and footsteps echoed through the space.

Yun Yin instinctively looked up. At the doorway stood a man in a dark suit, his expression indifferent as he slowly approached. Soon, he was standing before her.

Pei Yu?

Hadn’t he said he wouldn’t be home tonight?

Yun Yin wanted to speak, her lips moving slightly, but she couldn’t bring herself to initiate the conversation. She turned her head away, oblivious to Pei Yu’s gaze fixed on her.

She still remembered the message she’d sent him, and his lack of response.

Yun Yin’s evasiveness deepened the coldness in Pei Yu’s expression. He studied her, his eyelids lowered slightly, but ultimately said nothing.

Seeing her sitting comfortably on the sofa, showing no signs of distress, Pei Yu felt a wave of relief. He turned to go upstairs and change.

Then, someone gently tugged at the hem of his coat.

Pei Yu froze, turning back with a frosty look. “What is it?”

Yun Yin remained silent. Pei Yu was clearly still angry, and she couldn’t find the words to speak. As he turned to leave, she couldn’t resist grabbing his coat.

If she had just acted a little coquettish and said something sweet, as the commenters suggested, Pei Yu might not have been so angry.

But how was she supposed to act coquettish?

What exactly should she say?

She had spent the entire afternoon rehearsing, but now, faced with Pei Yu’s cold gaze, her mind went completely blank.

In a panic, she blurted out, “My foot hurts.”

Pei Yu’s expression finally softened. “Did you spray it with medicine?” he asked.

Yun Yin shook her head, her fingers fidgeting with the corner of his shirt. “Not yet,” she whispered.

Just as Yun Yin braced herself for Pei Yu to scold her for being disobedient, he showed no reaction. His tone remained flat as he said, “The medicine is in your room. I’ll ask Aunt Lin to spray it for you.” He turned to leave.

As his shirt slipped from her grasp, Yun Yin, seeing him about to leave again, reached out and grabbed his hand hanging at his side.

“A-Yu.”

Her voice was soft and light, yet it landed heavily on Pei Yu’s heart.

Pei Yu lowered his gaze, staring intently at her. As if he hadn’t heard clearly, he asked, “What did you say?”

Yun Yin didn’t know why she had called him that. The nickname had simply slipped out in a moment of heat.

Unlike her usual formal address by his full name, “A-Yu” seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

A feeling she had never experienced before was churning within her, connected to him.

The sensation lingered in Yun Yin’s heart, spreading from the hand gripping his fingers to her pounding heart—a feeling entirely new to her.

She silently acknowledged the emergence of this emotion.

Unsure if Pei Yu had heard her, Yun Yin’s ears flushed crimson as she whispered his name again, “A-Yu.”

Then, summoning her courage, she said, “I was wrong. Please don’t be angry anymore.”

Pei Yu’s eyes darkened, and the hand she held paused momentarily.

Yet his expression remained unchanged, his voice flat. “What exactly were you wrong about?”

“……”

Yun Yin pursed her lips slightly, glancing at his impassive eyes. Her voice was sincere. “I shouldn’t have acted so impulsively back then. I made you worry.”

Pei Yu lowered his gaze to her, his expression finally softening. Even his eyes seemed warmer.

“You think you can just act cute and I’ll forget your mistake?” he asked.

Yun Yin froze. Doesn’t that work?

The comments section always said men were easy to appease—just a little coaxing and sweet talk would do the trick.

But Pei Yu…

Yun Yin tilted her head to look at him, paused in thought, then gently furrowed her brow and whispered, “Why are you so hard to coax?”

Her voice was soft and light, like a Ragdoll cat purring in your ear, begging for a pat—utterly heart-melting.

Pei Yu’s hand, hanging at his side, slowly clenched into a fist, restraining the urge to reach out and embrace her.

He remained unmoved, stubbornly ignoring Yun Yin’s burning gaze and the emotions stirring within him. “I don’t need you to coax me,” he said coldly.

Yun Yin lowered her eyes, sniffed softly, and looked at him with earnest intensity. “But I want to coax you,” she said, each word deliberate.

“I know I was wrong. Why won’t you talk to me?” When Pei Yu remained silent, the day’s pent-up frustration surged to the surface.

“Do you… not want me anymore?” Her voice broke into a choked sob.

She had admitted her mistake and apologized, yet he remained so distant.

A sharp pain pierced Yun Yin’s nose, and her eyes began to mist over. She blinked forcefully, refusing to meet his gaze.

If Pei Yu wouldn’t acknowledge her, then she wouldn’t acknowledge him either.

Pei Yu’s expression sharpened. “I never said I didn’t want you,” he said in a low voice.

Yun Yin’s eyes were red-rimmed, her lips pressed tightly together. Her usually bright peach blossom eyes now shimmered with unshed tears. “You’ve been ignoring me,” she said.

Pei Yu sighed helplessly. “I haven’t been ignoring you.”

Even in his anger, he had never considered ignoring her. He was simply afraid of losing control of the violent impulses simmering within him, afraid of showing her his darker side.

Yet despite his efforts, he had still made her cry.

“Yes, you have,” Yun Yin insisted. “I sent you messages, and you didn’t reply.”

“I was driving,” Pei Yu explained. “I couldn’t reply.”

“Fine,” Yun Yin relented grudgingly, shaking his hand. “Then we’re even.”

Pei Yu remained silent. Yun Yin glanced at him, still convinced he was angry. She puffed out her cheeks, her voice slightly nasal. “You’re not allowed to be angry anymore either.”

Pei Yu’s expression remained calm as he gazed at her. “I’m not angry,” he murmured.

He said he wasn’t angry, but Yun Yin didn’t believe him for a moment.

Pei Yu was clearly angry, which was why he hadn’t replied to her messages. The excuse about driving was a lie.

Yun Yin frowned, gazing into his calm, dark eyes. Suddenly, she remembered the content of that link.

After a moment, Yun Yin, suppressing the heat rising in her ears, asked earnestly, “Then why don’t you hug me?”

Pei Yu froze.

She seemed genuinely seeking a hug, her eyes clear and innocent.

He tilted his head slightly, closed his eyes to calm the turmoil within, and reopened them with his usual composure, as if he hadn’t nearly lost control moments before.

No matter how much he resisted admitting it, he couldn’t help but soften toward her. If she made a mistake and tugged at his sleeve with a touch of coquettishness, he would forgive her.

Seeing her reddened eyes and the tears clinging to her lashes, threatening to fall, he sighed deeply.

Why bother being angry with her? Pei Yu thought. He had always known she understood nothing.

In the end, he would always be the one to coax her.

After a moment, Pei Yu leaned down and embraced her.