Huo Jingnan sat down next to Pei Nian, took her hand, and smiled knowingly at her.

"I'm sorry," Pei Nian whispered in his ear, then looked back, a little embarrassed. "It's their first time traveling so far, they're probably just too excited."

"Why are you apologizing to me?"

"Because... this is, after all, on your plane."

"It will be yours in the future too."

He affectionately rubbed his nose against hers, his eyes full of doting affection.

But in that instant, he seemed to feel a chill down his spine. He looked back but didn't find anything unusual.

The quiet boy sitting in the corner glanced at him, then turned his head back.

At this moment, the butler came over and said, "Young Master, the plane has been inspected and is ready for takeoff."

"Hmm." Huo Jingnan nodded. "Have you bought Ning Meng a plane ticket yet?"

“Miss Ning…” The butler looked troubled. “I heard from some of the bodyguards that Miss Ning wants to stay in the mountains for a couple more days.”

"What?" Huo Jingnan frowned. "What is she going to do there?"

"They said they wanted to take a few more photos to keep for a future photography exhibition."

Huo Jingnan was puzzled, but didn't pay much attention to it.

He had no interest in Ning Meng; if she wanted to stay, so be it. She had money and bodyguards, so she wouldn't suffer any losses.

As the plane took off, Pei Nian looked out the window the instant it lifted off the ground. The scenery below grew smaller and smaller, and she moved further and further away from the place.

Perhaps, I really won't come back again.

Pei Nian rested her head on Huo Jingnan's shoulder, smiled, and closed her eyes.

...

The success of the public welfare project has propelled Mr. Shao a step closer to the position of mayor.

Qin Yu, as the son-in-law, also went out of his way to cooperate. Whenever they attended an event, he would hold Shao Xiaofei's arm and carry his daughter in his arms. The couple were a picture of harmony and affection, with the father being kind and the daughter being filial.

In the penultimate election, Mr. Shao won an overwhelming victory thanks to the appearance of several children from mountainous areas.

His competitors looked at him with a mixture of jealousy and resentment, but they still smiled and stepped forward to shake hands and hug him, saying congratulations while secretly plotting how to bring him down from his position.

The celebration banquet following that election was even more extravagant.

Almost all the wealthy merchants and prominent figures in the political world of the city were present, and even the Yin family, who were far away in Southeast Asia, sent a congratulatory telegram.

After all, with the future mayor hosting, who could possibly refuse him?

Huo Junyu and Jiang Mianmian, representing the Huo and Lu families respectively, attracted much attention as soon as they entered the hall.

Even more attention was drawn to the little princess they were holding.

Those who wanted to curry favor with the Huo and Lu families couldn't wait to swarm around them, and whether their intentions were genuine or not, a torrent of praise instantly followed.

Jiang Mianmian immediately spotted Pei Nian not far away, who was like a serene magnolia flower, smiling gently at her.

Jiang Mianmian's eyes were a little red, and she felt a mix of emotions.

She had only been gone for a little over a week, but it felt like centuries had passed. Especially after seeing Lu Ran, she missed Pei Nian even more.

Jiang Mianmian handed her daughter to Huo Junyu, then walked through the crowd to Pei Nian. The two smiled at each other and embraced tightly.

"What's wrong?" Pei Nian asked her with a smile. "I've only been gone a few days, why are you acting like it's a matter of life and death?"

“You’ve lost weight…” Jiang Mianmian carefully examined her face.

"It's probably because of sun exposure."

"Anyway, you must have suffered a lot over there."

Pei Nian laughed.

As long as she's not by Jiang Mianmian's side, she'll think that Jiang Mianmian has suffered a lot.

Just like Pei Nian also felt that if Jiang Mianmian were bullied during this time without her, what would happen?

Huo Junyu and Huo Jingnan exchanged a glance, revealing a mutual understanding—in short, they were treating us like we didn't exist.

However, before they could exchange more than a few words, Huo Junyu and Jiang Mianmian were surrounded by a group of people and led away like stars around the moon. Huo Jingnan was also too busy socializing to get away. Pei Nian smiled and quietly returned to the corner she had been sitting in before.

Suddenly someone brought out a glass of champagne.

Pei Nian looked up and saw Qin Yu standing in front of her with a smile, already slightly drunk, his cheeks a little red.

He loosened his tie and pointed towards the balcony.

Pei Nian followed him over. The balcony was spacious and very quiet, like a different world from the bustling banquet hall.

The evening breeze brought a refreshing coolness, and the champagne slid down my throat, leaving a slightly sweet taste.

Pei Nian lowered her head, enjoying this rare moment of peace.

"Why are you out here instead of going in for social engagements?"

Qin Yu glanced at her, seemingly unwilling to answer the question.

Even without his answer, he understood that putting on a show in front of others and wearing a mask for too long would eventually become tiring.

But did he really not think about spending the rest of his life with Shao Xiaofei? In any case, Shao Xiaofei is truly a good wife and a good mother, more than a match for Qin Yu.

"Thank you so much this time." After a long silence, Qin Yu said to her with a light laugh.

"You're welcome," Pei Nian said calmly. "Actually, I also have my own selfish reasons. I just want those children to receive a better education."

“My father-in-law is very grateful to you and always says you are his benefactor. I will find an opportunity to arrange a meeting between you two.”

“It’s good that I can help the old man.” Pei Nian looked at him. “But… I also hope that he can be responsible for the children, just like he said in his campaign speech.”

"Heh!" Qin Yu chuckled indifferently and took a big gulp of wine. "It's just a show, don't take it seriously! These kinds of things are all about mutual benefit."

"Like your marriage with Shao Xiaofei?"

Qin Yu's expression changed, and he stared at her in a daze.

Pei Nian smiled and said, "Even if it's just a show, and everyone gets what they need, everyone still got what they needed. Humans are emotional beings, and you'll feel something different after spending a lot of time together. I believe that after spending a lot of time with those kids, the old gentleman will genuinely care about them."

“And you…” Pei Nian turned her gaze to him, “you and Shao Xiaofei are the same.”

"Hey!" Qin Yu was about to say, "Can we not talk about this anymore?" when his eyes suddenly turned and he noticed that someone seemed to be watching them from the shadows.

Besides the wealthy and powerful figures invited tonight, the most important people are the children Pei Nian brought from the mountains.

Qin Yu insisted on going all the way with the show, so he brought all the children. At that moment, he noticed the boy's gaze, nudged Pei Nian with his elbow, and whispered, "That kid...why is he staring at you?"

Pei Nian turned her head away.

Ding Cheng did not look away, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

Pei Nian's heart tightened. She put down the champagne, walked from the banquet hall into the courtyard, and came to Ding Cheng.

The two stared at each other for a long time, remaining silent.

"You..." Pei Nian finally spoke first, "What's your name? I'm so sorry, there are a lot of people here today, and I don't remember you coming to class often. So..."

"My name is Ding Cheng," the boy answered with unusual calm. "You...you really don't remember me?"