Chapter 58 Pei Que became the only ripple in her youth.

Father and daughter’s meetings were always like a needle against a haystack, often ending in discord.

With these words, Ming Yin went straight upstairs.

The room at the west end of the third floor was her bedroom, but she had rarely stayed there since high school.

It still looked familiar, meticulously maintained, neat, and clean.

She sat on the chair in front of the desk, lost in thought.

After the high school entrance exam, unwilling to stay with Ming Xiao and Liu Yingyi in the same house, and in the midst of adolescence, she was almost constantly at odds with Ming Kuo. So she asked her grandfather to transfer her school registration. She randomly chose Yucheng, a small city, to attend high school. It was there that she met Jiang Wansheng.

It was during that period that she met Pei Que.

During the summer vacation of her first year of high school, Ming Grandfather fell ill and was hospitalized. Reluctant to return to the capital, she came back to visit him until his condition stabilized.

That day was still vivid in her memory.

Feeling bored, she took her camera to an old industrial area in the capital, wanting to capture some industrial-style photos.

Following the rusty railway tracks, passing through the cold and old steel structures, and crossing an abandoned factory, the view suddenly opened up, with the Guning River reflecting the magnificent sunset.

A long bridge spanned the river, connecting the two sides.

One side was a relic of the past, the other a landmark of the present era.

She held her camera, searching for the best angle, took a few steps towards the bridge, raised the camera, and looked up.

Then she abruptly stopped.

A man stood in the middle of the bridge, dressed in black, with his hands resting on the railing, a burning cigarette between his fingers, head lowered, looking dispirited and weary.

Above him was a myriad of colorful light, his black hair tinged with gold, standing in the light but seeming to fall into an abyss.

Melancholic and cold.

She had never seen such a contradictory person before, and her gaze was irresistibly drawn to him.

She wanted to get closer but felt a bit shy. After hesitating for a while, she took a black mask from her canvas bag, mustered her courage, walked up the steps to the bridge, and raised her camera.

*Click.*

As if sensing her presence, the man turned his head to look at her.

It was then that she saw his face clearly.

Peach blossom eyes, high nose, thin lips, seemingly charming yet shrouded in darkness.

Her breath hitched, her heart felt like it was hit by a heavy object, skipping a few beats. She was rooted to the spot, at a loss.

The man had extinguished the cigarette in his hand and walked over, his expression turning playful, as if the previous silence and desolation had never existed.

At that moment, Ming Yin felt that the person in front of her was very good at disguising himself.

So once he sensed the presence of a stranger, he quickly put on a mask, just like now.

He stopped a few steps away from her, his voice ringing out, “Taking secret photos at such a young age?”

Suppressing her unbalanced heart rate, Ming Yin nervously tugged at her clothes, “Sorry, I, I like photography and take pictures of things I find beautiful.”

He sneered, “Delete them.”

Ming Yin nodded, “Okay, okay.”

He probably thought of her as an immature child and didn’t want to waste time on her. After speaking, he turned and left, cold and distant.

In the end, Ming Yin didn’t delete the photos. She knew it wasn’t polite, but she couldn’t convince herself to delete them.

That was her first encounter with Pei Que. She thought it was just a normal meeting, but in the many days that followed, she couldn’t sleep and kept replaying his figure and voice in her mind.

After that, she went to the old industrial area several times but never saw him again.

Just when she was losing confidence, at the inauguration ceremony of the new head of the Pei family, the man in a suit and leather shoes standing at a high position, elegant and noble, was the person she had been searching for all those days.

Pei Que, she learned his name.

Seeing him again, those thoughts that shouldn’t have existed in her mind suddenly surfaced and grew wildly. In the age of budding love, Pei Que became the only ripple in her youth.

Years passed, and lovesickness became a disease.

—

*Buzz, buzz…*

The phone on the table vibrated a few times, pulling Ming Yin back from her reverie, back to reality.

She picked up the phone, and Liu Yingyi had sent her the WeChat profiles of two or three guys.

There were a bunch of introductions about them below, but Ming Yin didn’t bother to read them and casually added them on WeChat.

Her gaze returned to the stack of thick photo albums on the table, and she sighed before closing them.

The smiling and charming men were hidden inside the covers, then locked away in the innermost drawer by Ming Yin.

—

In the afternoon, at the appointed time, Ming Yin drove directly to the couple’s restaurant.

Upon arrival, she looked around and saw a young man in a blue suit waving at her. She slid her sunglasses down a few inches, then opened her phone to compare the photos before walking over.

The man’s eyes lit up when he saw her, and he warmly stood up to shake her hand.

Ming Yin took off her sunglasses, gave a professional fake smile, shook his hand briefly, and then let go.

The man awkwardly withdrew his hand and gestured for her to sit down.

Ming Yin hadn’t eaten much for lunch and was feeling quite hungry now.

So when it came time to order, she seemed particularly enthusiastic. The man thought she was interested in him, and his whole demeanor brightened several levels.

—

Meanwhile, in a private room of the same restaurant, Pei Que sat with his long legs crossed at the head of the table, his deep gray shirt accentuating his well-defined curves, a confident smile on his face.

Around the dining table, men and women were chatting and exchanging toasts, the air thick with smoke.

One middle-aged man had a big smile on his face as he said, “Mr. Pei, we’ve sent quite a few proposals to your company’s email. The development of the EIP Industrial Park is evident, and we are very willing to assist you. Would you consider Yao Corporation?”

He raised his glass, “As a gesture of goodwill, I’ll drink first.”

Pei Que’s lips curved into a smile, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the table in front of him, making a dull sound.

At the same time, the heart of Mr. Yao, who was sitting across from him, was restless.

Pei Que remained silent, unsure of his intentions.

Mr. Yao’s heart was uneasy, going up and down.

Pei Que’s smile, or lack thereof, was more terrifying. He was very deep in thought.

If one plan failed, he would come up with another.

He signaled to the popular actress sitting next to him.

Understanding his signal, she picked up a wine glass, a seductive smile on her face, and swayed her hips as she walked towards Pei Que. “Pei Que, I’ll toast to you.”

Pei Que was known for his playfulness. Perhaps he could be swayed.

However, as the actress approached…

*Clatter.*

The wine glass in Pei Que’s hand suddenly fell, shattering into pieces, with the liquid splashing.

She exclaimed in surprise and stepped back repeatedly.

Pei Que’s face still carried a nonchalant and playful expression, lightly saying, “Sorry, slipped.”

He didn’t even spare her a glance.

Pei Que’s assistant quickly replaced the wine glass for him.

Seeing the woman’s unpleasant expression, the assistant thought she had hit a nerve.

Pei Que had been particularly annoyed by people wearing strong perfume lately.

Mr. Yao stood up to defuse the situation, “You’re being impolite. Please, have a seat.”

“Sorry, Mr. Pei, that was abrupt.”

Pei Que gave him a sidelong glance, “Don’t be presumptuous.”

“Yes, yes,” Mr. Yao repeatedly agreed.

He sighed, feeling that the opportunity might be a bit slim, but he didn’t want to give up. “Mr. Pei, Yao Corporation truly values this opportunity, and with our capabilities, we can guarantee to meet your requirements.”

“Moreover, soon our family will be forming an alliance with the Ming family. When the two powerful families unite, it will only get better. Mr. Pei, you definitely won’t lose out.”

Mr. Yao continued to talk, unaware that Pei Que’s usually carefree face was gradually darkening, his smile fading away.

He coldly interrupted, “Form an alliance with whom?”

Mr. Yao was caught off guard and responded awkwardly, “The, the Ming family.”

“Ming Kuo’s family?”

“Yes, although it hasn’t been announced yet, it’s almost there. My son is currently downstairs meeting with the young lady of the Ming family.”

At this point, a fatherly smile appeared on his face.

Pei Que’s assistant, seeing his clueless expression, inwardly thought three times: you’re in trouble.

As expected, Pei Que suddenly stood up, didn’t say a word, and left with long strides.

His expression dark, his back icy.