Chapter 3

The pear blossoms fall, and the spring breeze comes late.

Pei Yuning stood in the pear blossom rain on a spring night, raising her beautiful eyes slightly.

The man in front of him had superior facial features, a pair of charming phoenix eyes, pupils the color of clear amber, a high nose bone, and thin lips with a clear and moist red color, just like an ancient scroll of fine quality, with every stroke just right.

He was wearing a well-cut haute couture suit, a clean white shirt, a silk tie around his neck, and a black vest that outlined his muscular waist and abdomen. One end of the pocket watch chain was placed in the buttonhole, and the watch was neatly tucked into the vest pocket. His trousers were straight, and his legs were well-proportioned and slender. He looked like the elegant and noble gentleman in the movies, making people dare not to approach him easily.

“Thank you.” Pei Yuning took his handkerchief and covered her cheek where dewdrops had fallen.

The handkerchief was stained with the scent of perfume on Shang Yanci’s suit.

The top note is the light sour and sweet taste of bergamot, the middle note is the bitter and sweet taste of medicinal herbs, and the base note is the clear and mellow interweaving of cedar and ebony. The layered wood texture suits him very well.

It was clearly just Shang Yanci’s handkerchief, but she suddenly had an illusion, as if he was personally using his fingertips to gently wipe away the water marks on her face, leaving only a trace of indelible heat.

Pei Yuning’s face gradually turned lightly red. She held the handkerchief in her palm and smiled brightly: “Pei Yuning, my name.”

The man in front of her paused for a few seconds, as if he knew that she could see the words on the handkerchief clearly, but he still maintained the proper courtesy, looked directly into her eyes, and said in a gentle and mellow voice: “Shang Yanci, my name.”

His eyes stopped on both sides of her cheeks: “Ms. Pei’s face is a little red, are you feeling uncomfortable?”

Pei Yuning: “No, I drank a few too many glasses of pear wine, so my face may be a little red.”

Shang Yanci: “If you don’t mind, you can go to the tea room on the second floor for a cup of hangover tea. Because of the invitation of a friend, let me make some suggestions for improvement before we officially entertain guests on the second and third floors.”

Pei Yuning nodded: “Okay.”

The two walked to the door of the tea room. Shang Yanci opened the door of the tea room and raised his hand to motion her to go in first: “Watch the threshold under your feet.”

Pei Yuning thought that Shang Yanci would ask the waiter to bring a cup of hangover tea, but he sat down at the table and began to warm the pot and cups, and carried out a series of steps of making tea in an orderly manner.

The aroma of small green tangerine tea wafted slowly into the room.

Pei Yuning felt that she had been accurately positioned by Cupid’s arrow, with the arrowhead pointed at her heart, ready to strike.

From the time they met until now, her favorability towards Shang Yanci has never decreased. Although she is obsessed with looks, appearance does not represent everything. If Shang Yanci was a rude, mean and frivolous man, she would definitely turn around and leave.

But he was really polite and gentlemanly, always keeping a reasonable distance from her and not getting too close.

Yes, I want to pursue.

The end of an old relationship is the beginning of a new one.

This is not only a commemoration of the old love, but also a respect for the new love.

Pei Yuning opened WeChat and found that meaningless verbal entanglement was still necessary.

I clicked into Shang Heng’s chat box and he sent me another message.

Shang Heng: [Ningning, don’t make the relationship between our two families so awkward. Pei

Yuning typed on the keyboard and replied: [Break up, cancel the engagement. Anyway,

she and Shang Heng were not married, so they did not need the consent of both parties. As long as one of them proposed it, it meant that their relationship had broken down.

Shang Yanci saw that she had put down her phone, then placed the teacup in front of her and picked up the teapot to pour tea: “Miss Pei, please.”

Pei Yuning put her fingers together, tapped three times on the table in return, and picked up the teapot to sip.

The aroma of the small green tangerine is rich and mellow, the tea color is clear and bright, the tangerine fragrance and Pu’er tea blend together, and the aftertaste is sweet, not greasy or astringent.

Pei Yuning: “Mr. Shang, are you from City Z?”

Shang Yanci: “No, I’m from northern Beijing.”

When he said this, he kept looking into Pei Yuning’s eyes. This might be a habit he has developed over time. He is used to doing this when talking to others.

Although this is also a kind of social etiquette, Pei Yuning always felt that the way he looked at her was not as steady and restrained as his words and actions.

Being stared at by such a man with impeccable looks and temperament, most people would not be able to control themselves.

But fortunately, Pei Yuning grew up watching his two brothers who were both handsome men who brought disaster upon themselves, so he was not easily dazzled by Shang Yanci’s appearance.

Pei Yuning: “That’s really unfortunate. I haven’t seen you once in Jingbei.”

Shang Yanci looked at her meaningfully: “You have been abroad before, and you came back this time to attend the wedding of your junior.”

Pei Yuning smiled and said, “Congratulations.”

Shang Yanci picked up the teacup and sipped it silently.

Pei Yuning: “I will treat you to dinner when Mr. Shang returns to Jingbei. Thank you for helping me out tonight.”

Although she had her back to Qi Yue at the time and did not see what happened, she knew after a little thought that Shang Yanci must have seen what Qi Yue was about to do to her, so he asked the black-clad bodyguards to throw him out to avoid trouble in the private kitchen.

“It’s just a piece of cake.” Shang Yanci poured her tea.

The sound of running water is clear and the tea mist is lingering.

The silver pinky ring on the man’s slender finger came into view, like an invisible fish hook without bait.

And Pei Yuning is the fish that is willing to take the bait.

“Mr. Shang, are you a non-marriage advocate?”

Upon hearing this, Shang Yanci lowered his head to look at the ring on his wedding ring, then looked up at her and said slowly, “Now it is.”

These three short words made Pei Yuning’s heart go up and down. It felt like he answered, but also like he didn’t.

The tea room became quiet, and the two sat opposite each other across a square table. Pei Yuning drank his tea slowly, while Shang Yanci accompanied him tactfully, in silence, yet peaceful and harmonious.

The pear blossoms outside the window occasionally fall in the wind, looking like snow on a spring night.