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59. Deep Understanding

Pushed away by Chen Shu Yin, Pei Yu leaned in again, reluctantly pulling the phone from his clothes just as the ringtone stopped. Seeing the caller ID, he turned off the screen and bent down to bite her lower lip.

“Who was it? Don’t you need to call back?” Chen Shu Yin shrank back, but he pursued her, panting lightly as she asked in a broken voice.

He had just torn open a package and put it on, veins bulging at his temples, utterly unconcerned with anything other than the warmth of her willing embrace.

“No need.”

Pei Yu, addicted to the game, barely spoke as he pressed deeper. He grabbed one of her sweat-drenched arms and draped it around his neck. Just as he reached for the second, the phone rang again—the same ringtone, even more grating than before.

Breathing heavily, he held her waist to keep her from escaping and answered the call with a single slide, still halfway inside her.

Zhou Qi’s voice filled the narrow car cabin: “Brother, the police have found new leads regarding your father. They need you to come over.”

“Alright.”

Hearing Pei Yu’s hoarse voice, Zhou Qi hesitated for a few seconds.

“Something else?” Pei Yu noticed the call was still connected.

At that moment—

Chen Shu Yin bit the web of his hand to muffle a sigh, but before her teeth could sink in, he pulled her away, freeing one hand to lift her hips slightly, unintentionally hitting a spot that made her tremble.

“Bite me,” he commanded.

“Ah… No, nothing else,” Zhou Qi responded, sensing something unusual in Pei Yu’s voice and the strange words he overheard. “When will you be here?”

Chen Shu Yin was struggling, her tearful eyes wet and glistening. She turned her head against the car seat, refusing to speak. Seeing her reluctance, Pei Yu’s free hand didn’t stay idle.

“I’m at Jiang Yu Residence. The drive should take about thirty minutes, maybe an hour if there’s traffic. See you then.”

“Alright, I’ll wait for you.” Zhou Qi quickly ended the call.

Chen Shu Yin’s long hair, once tied up, had long been undone by him, draping over her fair shoulders and half her face, sticking to her damp skin in a pitiful mess.

“Now, you can make noise,” Pei Yu coaxed, only to be met with a sharp slap to his face. Catching her fingers, he kissed them gently.

“Get… out. Don’t you want to be on time?” she said breathlessly, her voice trembling.

Pei Yu held her tighter. “Don’t worry, I set the car to autopilot.”

The sensation grew more intense. Chen Shu Yin wanted to escape the overwhelming soreness but found herself surrendering to his increasing skill. She had become far more uninhibited than before.

The car indeed started moving. The AI assistant smoothly reported traffic updates. The thought of entering the city, surrounded by other vehicles, even in an enclosed space, filled her with shame.

“Hurry up,” she urged.

“You want me to go faster?” Pei Yu asked mischievously.

“Not like that…”

“Then how? You know our rule—every time you go multiple rounds, I get one turn.” He teased her while glancing down, only for her to block his view.

“You haven’t even gone once yet. How am I supposed to be fast?”

“…”

All along the way, passing car horns, sirens, and snippets of conversation kept her nerves on edge.

Pei Yu, unaffected, comforted her calmly. “Relax. I’m struggling too, alright?”

“How am I supposed to relax?” She was both frustrated and flustered. “Couldn’t you be a little… smaller?”

A shadow fell over her as he lowered his head to nuzzle against her neck, muffling a chuckle.

“Wife, what do you want me to say to that?”

“If I were smaller, you wouldn’t feel anything.”

After thoroughly exploring her, he cleaned her up, feeling refreshed as he pulled her into his arms. Twisting open a bottle of electrolyte water, he brought it to her lips.

“I checked—it’s a little red, but not swollen. Just rest in the car while I go in?”

Chen Shu Yin shot him a look and made a hush gesture. “Since this is about your father, I have to go too.”

“Alright.”

Holding her hand, Pei Yu led her out of the car. With an umbrella in one hand and a small fan in the other, he diligently cooled her down, offering her sips of water and wiping the sweat from her forehead.

His care was meticulous.

—

Pei Wei had hired a lawyer, but the case was a long battle requiring back-and-forth maneuvering.

Zhou Qi handed Pei Yu some organized police files. “These were found in your aunt’s room. After coordinating with President Zhou, we confirmed these are your father’s clothes and shoes from the day he disappeared. As for these photos, we can’t verify the dates, but one group photo has handwriting on the back, estimated to be from five or six years ago.”

“Five or six years?”

Pei Yu and Chen Shu Yin exchanged a glance.

If the photo really was from that time, it meant his father hadn’t died—he had even been in contact with Pei Wei.

Pei Yu had witnessed his father, Pei Song, and Zhou Jingyi’s deep love. Pei Song wouldn’t even take out the trash without telling Zhou Jingyi, making it impossible for him to disappear without a trace.

Since childhood, Pei Yu knew his father was especially strict with Pei Wei. The more their grandfather spoiled her, the more Pei Song disciplined her. Whenever they were together, Pei Yu always heard his father scolding her.

If he were alive, why would he choose to contact Pei Wei instead of his family?

“The photos are being analyzed—” Zhou Qi hesitated.

Sensing hesitation, Chen Shu Yin turned away to give them privacy, but Pei Yu pulled her back, holding her hand.

“It’s fine. Speak.”

“In addition, the police found high-tech equipment in her secret room, though its purpose is unclear. There’s also a locked chamber with a painting hanging outside. They believe the painting holds the key to unlocking the door.”

“This is the painting.” Zhou Qi handed Pei Yu a tablet.

It depicted Fuxi and Nüwa intertwined, their snake tails coiled together, bodies facing each other. The inscription at the bottom was worn and unreadable.

Chen Shu Yin, who enjoyed visiting art galleries in college, recognized the symbolic meaning of the intertwined tails at a glance. However, deciphering a hidden message in a single painting required expertise they didn’t have.

A police officer entered and added, “We haven’t found any trace of your father at Pei Wei’s residence. There’s no visible mechanism in the painting. If you have an expert friend, you can bring them in.”

Chen Shu Yin pondered. “I do have a friend who’s good at this. I’ll ask him.”

She immediately took out her phone. The call connected quickly.

“Shu Yin.”

“It’s me. Do you have time? I need your help with something urgent.”

“For you, I always have time,” the man said. “But I have a lecture in Lin City tomorrow and won’t be back for two days.”

Chen Shu Yin hesitated, looking at Pei Yu. Time was of the essence—missing persons needed to be found as soon as possible.

“Tonight. Can we meet in person?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Wait until I actually help.”

“Let’s meet at our usual spot?”

“Okay.”

Pei Yu absorbed the information and then reached for her hand. “It’s late. Let’s go home.”

But instead of taking his hand, Chen Shu Yin subtly pulled away.

Pei Yu stiffened. “What’s wrong?”

“I asked him, and he said he could help. I want to see him first.”

Pei Yu frowned. “This is about my dad. I should go too.”

“I’d also like to meet your friend.”

Chen Shu Yin hesitated, looking uncomfortable. “Better not.”

—

And Pei Yu followed her.