Chapter 16: Mr. Pei, Don’t Comfort Me

Their eyes met, and Jian Ruo Ci’s mind went blank.

She could clearly feel her heart racing in panic. At that moment, the little boy’s mother rushed over and apologized repeatedly.

Jian Ruo Ci finally regained her senses. She pushed Pei Yan Zhou away in a panic, her eyes darting around, not daring to look at him. She thanked him. “Thank you.”

She looked at the little boy’s mother, then at the little boy who was lowering his head. He was looking at the ground, realizing that he had done something wrong.

His voice was small. “Brother, sister, I’m sorry.”

It was normal for a boy of that age to be mischievous.

Jian Ruo Ci bent down and reached out to touch his head. “It’s okay. Be careful next time. You can’t play in the supermarket.”

The little boy nodded obediently. “Okay, sister.”

“So, you’ve forgiven me?”

Jian Ruo Ci smiled. “Yes.”

“In the supermarket, please keep your child under control.” Pei Yan Zhou’s face was dark, and his voice was cold.

“Yes, yes, yes.” The little boy’s mother apologized repeatedly. “I’m so sorry. I’ve caused you trouble.”

The little boy was a little afraid of Pei Yan Zhou, but he still apologized to him, facing his cold gaze. “Brother, I’m sorry…”

Pei Yan Zhou kept a cold face and didn’t respond to the little boy. The little boy looked a little disappointed.

Jian Ruo Ci felt sorry for the little boy. She couldn’t bear to watch and reached out to poke Pei Yan Zhou’s arm, saying softly, “Say something.”

He was such a big guy, why was he picking on a child?

He looked at Jian Ruo Ci’s gaze for a long time, then reluctantly said, “It’s okay.”

The little boy, who was about to cry, smiled. He looked at Jian Ruo Ci and Pei Yan Zhou, saying childishly, “Thank you, sister. Thank you, brother. I’ll listen to Mom from now on and not run around.”

Jian Ruo Ci smiled and touched his head.

The little boy pulled Jian Ruo Ci’s hand, his eyes filled with a smile. “Sister, can I tell you a secret?”

“Oh? What is it?” Jian Ruo Ci smiled and squatted down beside him.

The little boy leaned over and whispered in her ear, covering his hand. He said in a voice that only they could hear, “Sister, that brother likes you. Little kids never lie. Mom said that kids who lie will have long noses.”

Jian Ruo Ci was stunned for a moment, then a slight smile curved her lips. She reached out and pinched his chubby cheeks. “Okay, sister knows.”

She didn’t think Pei Yan Zhou liked her. She didn’t deny it, she just didn’t want to disappoint the little boy.

Then the little boy said goodbye to her with a smile and left, holding his mother’s hand.

After they left, Jian Ruo Ci stared at Pei Yan Zhou’s gloomy face for a few seconds and shook her head.

He was cold to children, with a stern face. She wondered if he would still be like this to his own children in the future. She felt sorry for his future children for three seconds.

Seeing her shake her head, Pei Yan Zhou’s face darkened. “What do you mean?”

Jian Ruo Ci forced out a not-so-good smile. “Nothing.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the smile disappeared.

They bought the groceries and left the supermarket.

She sat in the passenger seat, and Pei Yan Zhou started the car. She said, “I live in the old villa district in the suburbs.”

Pei Yan Zhou calmly nodded.

Along the way, they didn’t speak again. The car had already driven into the villa district. Jian Ruo Ci noticed a problem. Pei Yan Zhou hadn’t turned on the navigation, and she hadn’t given him directions. He hadn’t looked at the navigation either. It was clear that he was familiar with this area.

“Where do you live?” Pei Yan Zhou asked.

“Turn right at the next intersection.” Jian Ruo Ci gave him directions. She asked, “Are you familiar with this area?”

“Hmm.” Pei Yan Zhou: “A long time ago, my relatives lived here.”

So that’s how it was. No wonder he didn’t need navigation.

It’s just that there were basically no residents left in this villa district now.

“Pei Yan Zhou, wouldn’t it be more beneficial to develop in a foreign country? Why did you choose to return to China?”

Jian Ruo Ci realized that her question was inappropriate. It might involve his privacy. “You don’t have to answer.”

The car stopped in front of the villa. The engine died, and Pei Yan Zhou turned to look at her. “Finding someone, helping her, making her happy.”

“Then she must be very important to you.” She felt a pang of jealousy, knowing that he had someone so important hidden in his heart.

“Hmm.” Pei Yan Zhou’s eyes were dark. “Very important.”

Jian Ruo Ci got out of the car and was about to carry the groceries inside, but Pei Yan Zhou beat her to it. “I’ll do it.”

“Okay.” He was quite the gentleman.

Jian Ruo Ci poured Pei Yan Zhou a glass of water. “Sit down first. Have some water. I’ll cook.”

“Hmm.”

Jian Ruo Ci started washing the vegetables. Pei Yan Zhou looked at the photo on the coffee table, reaching out, his fingertips lightly brushing over the people in the photo. His eyes were complex.

The kitchen was open-plan. Jian Ruo Ci glanced over at him and saw that he was staring at the photo on the coffee table. He looked forlorn at that moment.

Jian Ruo Ci didn’t think too much about it. She thought he was just looking at the family on the coffee table and missing his own parents. She said, “Why don’t you ask me why I’m not in this photo?”

Pei Yan Zhou’s fingertips left the photo. He didn’t show any emotion. “This isn’t your home.”

“When this villa district was most sought-after, the Jian family didn’t have the ability to buy a house here.”

She chopped the vegetables, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Then they could have bought it when they had the ability.”

“By then, there will be better properties.” Pei Yan Zhou said.

By then, wealthy families wouldn’t look down on properties in this area anymore.

Jian Ruo Ci gave him a thumbs-up. “Amazing. You’re truly the Pei CEO of the business world.”

“That’s because you’re stupid.”

Jian Ruo Ci: “…”

She praised him, and he slapped her in the face in return…

“Yes, I’m stupid.” She rolled her eyes. “I’m not as smart as Mr. Pei. I can’t afford to live in your mansion villa.”

A mansion villa was not only a symbol of wealth but also a symbol of status.

Pei Yan Zhou’s thin lips parted. “You can.”

She really scoffed. His comfort was more like an insult. “Mr. Pei, don’t comfort me.”

His comfort was blatant sarcasm in her eyes.

“You know what? I don’t have many good qualities.”

“My only good quality is that I know my limitations.”

Pei Yan Zhou stood up from the sofa, walked to the opposite side of her, and leaned over, his hands resting on the kitchen counter. He looked at her. “I said you can, and you can.”

Heh, he said she could, so she could?

Who did he think he was, an old immortal who could speak with divine power?

Jian Ruo Ci muttered to herself: Easy for you to say. Are you going to buy it for me?

Of course, she only dared to mutter to herself. She didn’t have the courage to say it out loud.

Jian Ruo Ci didn’t argue with him much. She washed the strawberries, put them in a plate, and picked one up and put it in her mouth.

A strong gaze was fixed on her. She felt uncomfortable being stared at.

She looked at Pei Yan Zhou, then lowered her head and looked at the strawberries in the plate. Did he want to eat them too?

She hesitated for a moment, then picked up a strawberry from the plate and placed it in front of him. “Do… do you want to eat one?”

Pei Yan Zhou didn’t say anything. She felt like he was looking at an idiot at that moment.

After a few seconds, Jian Ruo Ci was about to retract her hand when Pei Yan Zhou leaned over and ate the strawberry from her hand.

His cool lips touched her fingertips. Jian Ruo Ci felt a shock and retracted her hand. Her cheeks flushed, and her earlobes turned red.

She looked like a flustered, helpless little rabbit. Pei Yan Zhou’s lips curved into an imperceptible smile.

Jian Ruo Ci unconsciously placed the plate of strawberries in front of him. “Take… take it and eat it. If you like it… eat more.”

She regretted it so much. There were a million ways to thank someone. Why did she have to invite him to dinner?

She said, “Take it and eat it on the sofa.”

What she actually wanted to say was: You can get away from me.