Chapter 16 The lady left with her suitcase.

Across the river, Xie Xiyan returned the phone to Pei Jingchuan.

Pei Jingchuan asked casually, "Did you call your aunt?"

Xie Xiyan claimed that her phone was out of battery, so she borrowed Pei Jingchuan's phone to pretend to call home to let them know she was safe, but in reality, she was provoking Xie Nanzhi.

Xie Xiyan nodded, somewhat absentmindedly.

What was the meaning of Xie Nanzhi's last sentence? What exactly did she mean?

Pei Jingchuan could also tell that she was out of sorts and assumed she was still upset about not becoming Mosel's apprentice.

"Wait a minute, I'll take you home."

Xie Xiyan snapped out of her daze and immediately clung to Pei Jingchuan's arm, pouting, "No, I have plans to hang out with my friends. Jingchuan, come with me, that way I won't have to worry about you drinking too much."

This was the girl he loved most. Looking at her expectant face, Pei Jingchuan couldn't bear to refuse her.

But is Xie Nanzhi still waiting for him at the club?

"I'll call Nanzhi first."

In front of Xie Xiyan, Pei Jingchuan dialed the number.

Then a mechanical voice came from the other end, "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off."

Pei Jingchuan's face immediately darkened.

Xie Xiyan seized the opportunity to sow discord, "Nanzhi isn't deliberately ignoring your calls, is she? Jingchuan, I feel like Nanzhi's temper has been a bit bad lately. Is she taking advantage of being pregnant with your child to act arrogantly?"

Hmph, Xie Nanzhi is just taking advantage of being favored and getting more and more outrageous.

Pei Jingchuan felt a surge of anger. This was too much; he couldn't let it go this time.

This woman is getting a bit too cocky.

Pei Jingchuan put his phone away and stopped dialing. "Let's go."

With her wicked scheme succeeding, Xie Xiyan smiled.

Regardless of what Xie Nanzhi meant, she was determined not to lose.

——

Xie Nanzhi returned to the Cloud Top Villa at around 1 a.m.

She went upstairs to get her luggage. Zhou Mubin's car was waiting for her outside. As Xie Nanzhi stepped into the courtyard, she smelled the tulips in the garden.

She had never hated a flower so much; its fresh fragrance only made her feel nauseous.

As soon as the door opened, the auntie came forward with a beaming smile and congratulated her, "Madam, you must have had a wonderful birthday this year. Just in time, the bird's nest porridge I prepared for you has just come out of the pot. Please have a bowl while it's still hot."

She didn't answer the aunt's question, but just said as she walked, "Please boil a kettle of boiling water for me, I'll use it later."

The aunt was puzzled, but she did as she was told, "Yes, madam."

Xie Nanzhi walked straight ahead, through the hall, and headed to the second floor.

Several days ago, Xie Nanzhi had already packed her luggage, and even the smallest suitcase wasn't full.

It's laughable, really. Three whole years, it was like this when we arrived, and it was like this when we left.

Just as she was passing by the dressing table, Xie Nanzhi suddenly remembered that there was a sketchbook in the drawer.

Those were Xie Nanzhi's paintings; each one depicted Pei Jingchuan from her memories, though he was unaware of their existence.

Pei Jingchuan didn't like her painting. His reason at the time was that he was afraid she would hurt herself and that she would feel anxious and inferior because of the scenery.

Looking back now, it was just a disguised way of suppressing her, not wanting her to block Xie Xiyan's path in painting.

Xie Nanzhi sneered, and the next second, she tore the entire picture book to shreds.

She had only one feeling right now: Pei Jingchuan was not worthy of her affection, much less her love.

Then, Xie Nanzhi placed the "surprise" she had prepared in advance in the most prominent position.

Pei Jingchuan, this is my last gift to you.

You will definitely like it.

——

Xie Nanzhi dragged her suitcase downstairs. The aunt was surprised to see her carrying luggage, "Madam, what's going on...?"

Xie Nanzhi casually said, "I'm going back to the Xie family home for two days. Have you prepared the boiled water I asked you to?"

Auntie, "Oh, okay, I'll go get it for Madam right away."

A pot full of hot water, piping hot.

Xie Nanzhi brought boiling water to the garden. When she smelled the fragrance of the flowers, her face turned cold. Without saying a word, she poured the water on all the tulips in the yard.

The aunt looked bewildered and said with a hint of anxiety, "Madam, these flowers will be scalded to death."

Xie Nanzhi acted as if she hadn't heard anything, and only returned the kettle to the aunt when there wasn't a drop of hot water left.

"I want them dead."

The aunt stared blankly at Xie Nanzhi's departing figure, frozen in place.

Madam, what has upset you?

...

High-end club.

Xie Xiyan's ladies were dancing wildly, and Pei Jingchuan was the only one who didn't fit in.

One of the girls said, "Xiyan, where's your husband? Why didn't he come with you?"

Another chimed in, "You don't understand. When people go out to have fun, who brings their spouse? Right, Xiyan?"

Someone joked, "I get it, I get it, this is what they call 'the wildflowers smell sweeter than the garden flowers,' hahaha, Xiyan really knows how to have fun."

Xie Xiyan silently turned her gaze to Pei Jingchuan.

She didn't like him, nor did she like Shen Xu; to be precise, she didn't like anyone except herself.

In Xie Xiyan's heart, these men were nothing more than tools for her to deal with Xie Nanzhi.

Just thinking about Xie Nanzhi sleeping alone tonight, her face wet with tears, made her incredibly happy.

Xie Xiyan smiled brightly, "Let's drink, don't worry about him."

Pei Jingchuan sat on the sofa, lost in thought, and downed the glass of red wine in one gulp.

He subconsciously touched the necklace in his pocket; it was a birthday gift he had prepared for Xie Nanzhi.

He planned to personally put the necklace on her in front of everyone. After three years of marriage, this was the first time he had seriously chosen a gift for her.

It was the Heart of the Ocean that she had loved for a long time, not because the gemstone was so precious, but because of the story behind it.

The Heart of the Ocean was the designer's last gift to his wife. He passed away from illness afterward, but he never expected that his wife would follow him in death, taking the Heart of the Ocean with her.

But Xie Nanzhi's performance tonight made Pei Jingchuan hesitate again; perhaps he shouldn't have given her the necklace so soon.

Just then, Pei Jingchuan's phone rang. His already irritable mood worsened when he saw the caller ID. He answered the phone impatiently, and the aunt's voice was flustered, "Sir, Madam has left with her suitcase."

Pei Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, 'Madam left with her suitcase'?"

Before leaving, Xie Nanzhi said she was going to stay at the Xie family's house for a few days, but the aunt felt something was wrong.

The wife's relationship with the Xie family has never been good. She doesn't even want to attend the Xie family banquet once a month, let alone stay there for a few days.

The aunt realized the seriousness of the problem and immediately called Pei Jingchuan.

The aunt said anxiously, "Madam left with a small suitcase. She said she was going to stay at the Xie family's house for a few days. I felt something was wrong, so I hurriedly called you."

Pei Jingchuan's heart tightened, and he was stunned for a long time.

The next second, Pei Jingchuan hung up the phone and quickly left.

Seeing this, Xie Xiyan said something to her friend and immediately chased after them, asking anxiously, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Pei Jingchuan was anxious and hurried towards the elevator, answering firmly, "No, Xie Nanzhi will not leave me."

She loved him so much, how could she possibly leave him?

Xie Xiyan had to jog to keep up with his pace. "Jingchuan, don't worry. Nanzhi is just throwing a little tantrum. Women like to play these little games of playing hard to get."

Upon hearing this, Pei Jingchuan frowned and walked straight into the elevator without saying a word.

When Pei Jingchuan rushed back to the Cloud Top Villa, the sky was already turning a pale white.

Pushing open the door of the Cloud Top Villa, Pei Jingchuan asked impatiently, "Has Madam returned?"