White Moonlight Strikes

Ever since having dinner together at Yunyin Hall, Pei Zhiyuan noticed the unspoken understanding between Zhang Xiande and You Jiale, as well as You Jiale's ability to win over Zhang's mother. He felt as if he had ten heavy stones weighing on his heart, making it hard to breathe.

He initially thought that You Jiale was merely using her cleverness to curry favor with Zhang Xiande, but Zhang Xiande actually took her home for dinner. All signs pointed to You Jiale's deliberate attempt to seduce Zhang Xiande.

On this day, Pei Zhiyuan was invited to watch a play and listen to music with Chi Ye at a teahouse in the city.

Once Ikeno sat down, he couldn't stop talking:

"Zhiyuan, you have no idea, that guy surnamed You who's been around Xiande lately has really been getting more and more outrageous!"

Pei Zhiyuan picked up his teacup, but his eyes didn't reflect the calm he appeared to have. "What happened?"

Chi Ye spoke up, with a hint of disdain: "I heard that Xian De is doing some new business recently, what's it called..." He frowned and thought for a moment, "Right, it's called 'Le Ji Delivery'! It doesn't sound like anything legitimate."

Pei Zhiyuan paused slightly in his teacup, but his expression remained unchanged: "Leji Delivery? What do you do?"

"Who knows! I heard it's just some errand-running business." Chi Ye curled his lip in disdain. "Think about it, what kind of person is Zhang Xiande? Why would he do such a low-class business? And you hear the name 'Le Ji'..." He leaned closer, his tone carrying a hint of speculation and certainty, "It's probably You Jiale who instigated it! Maybe it's something Xiande gave to his little mistress to play with!"

A shadow crossed Pei Zhiyuan's eyes. "You saw it with your own eyes?"

"No, not at all." Chi Ye waved his hand. "But think about it, ever since You Jiale came, there hasn't been a moment of peace around Zhang Xiande!"

"At the birthday banquet at the Zhang residence last time, didn't you see how charming he was? Even the old lady was completely flattered by him!"

Pei Zhiyuan remained silent, his fingertips tracing the rim of the teacup, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Chi Ye continued to add fuel to the fire: "I'm telling you, Zhiyuan, you'd better be careful! This You Jiale doesn't look like a law-abiding person. Who knows what bad ideas he's up to! How could someone as shrewd as Zhang Xiande not see through him? Unless..." Chi Ye paused, giving Pei Zhiyuan a meaningful look, "...unless he did it on purpose."

Pei Zhiyuan raised his head, a complex look in his eyes: "Was that intentional?"

"Yeah! They're deliberately praising You Jiale and letting him steal the spotlight. There's definitely something fishy going on behind the scenes!" Chi Ye felt his guess made more and more sense as he spoke. "Maybe it's just to spite you! After all, you're the one who grew up with Xiande. How could he possibly like this kind of... this kind of unreliable pretty boy!"

Pei Zhiyuan didn't reply, but lowered his eyes to conceal the turbulent emotions within them. He understood that whatever the true purpose of "Leji Delivery," its appearance and Chi Ye's words made him feel uneasy and threatened.

The plan, which was originally thought to be an easy return to Zhang Xiande's side, seems to have become complicated because of the sudden appearance of You Jiale.

After parting ways with Chi Ye at the teahouse, Pei Zhiyuan walked alone on the way back to Yunyin Hall.

Ikeno's speculative words, like the lingering heat of the afternoon, made him feel slightly irritated.

He tried hard not to dwell on Chi Ye's speculations about Zhang Xiande and You Jiale, but those words seemed to have taken root, popping up in his mind from time to time.

Just as he was about to reach a bustling street corner, he heard intermittent conversations.

"Hey, the pastries you ordered from 'Le Kee Delivery' today were really good, they were still warm when they arrived!"

"Yes, yes, I've ordered from them a few times. They're quite fast, and the products are good too. It's much more convenient than going to buy them myself."

"I heard they can even deliver medicine now, that's a huge help!"

Pei Zhiyuan paused slightly. He continued walking without showing any emotion, but for the rest of the journey, he paid closer attention to the conversations around him.

He was surprised to find that the name "Lak Kee Delivery" appeared quite frequently, both among roadside vendors and hurried pedestrians, and was almost always praised.

This is completely different from the impression of "unorthodox" that Ikeno mentioned.

This piqued his curiosity about this so-called "Leji Delivery." Could it really be that Zhang Xiande set it up for that You Jiale?

A complex emotion, like having swallowed fly droppings, began to grow in Pei Zhiyuan's heart.

He changed direction from returning to Yunyin Hall, and inexplicably headed in the direction pointed out by the people talking about "Leji Delivery." He wanted to see for himself what magic "Leji Delivery" possessed.

Not long after, a rather ordinary-looking courtyard appeared before Pei Zhiyuan's eyes. A wooden sign at the entrance read "Leji Delivery," and it looked quite inconspicuous. The courtyard was rather lively, though; one could hear people bustling about, and people were constantly riding bicycles in and out.

Pei Zhiyuan stood across the street, quietly observing everything inside the courtyard.

Looking from the courtyard gate, two people were standing in the middle of the courtyard. One of them was Zhang Xiande, who exuded an aura of dominance and stood tall. The other was You Jiale, who had a particularly eye-catching young face.

Pei Zhiyuan's heart skipped a beat. He saw You Jiale talking to Zhang Xiande with a faint smile on her face, while Zhang Xiande listened attentively, nodding in response from time to time.

After hesitating for a moment, Pei Zhiyuan still stepped forward. Now that he was here, there was no reason to back down.

“Xiande.” Pei Zhiyuan stepped forward, his usual gentle smile on his face.

Zhang Xiande and You Jiale turned around at the same time upon hearing the sound.

"Zhiyuan, what are you doing here?" Zhang Xiande's tone was slightly surprised, but he quickly regained his composure.

"I was just passing by and saw that this place seemed quite lively, so I came to take a look." Pei Zhiyuan's gaze swept gently over You Jiale before returning to Zhang Xiande. "Is this the new business you've been busy with lately?"

"Yes, I just came over to get some information." Zhang Xiande nodded, glanced at the sky, and said, "I'm almost done here. It's getting late, so I'll take you home together."

“Okay,” Pei Zhiyuan replied naturally.

You Jiale watched the interaction between the two, her big eyes darting around. They lived under the same roof, seeing each other all the time, their relationship must be good, right?

This time, his transmigration into the book shouldn't have hindered their original romantic relationship, right? If his appearance didn't affect the development of Zhang Xiande and Pei Zhiyuan's relationship, then according to their previous agreement, Zhang Xiande should keep his promise and save his life, right? This thought was like grasping at a straw, making You Jiale feel a little more at ease.

Zhang Xiande nodded slightly, stepped aside to make way, and said calmly, "Then let's go."

“Hey—” You Jiale quickly spoke up, “Then you guys go first. There was a small problem with an order today. I have to fix the system as soon as possible, otherwise I’ll get yelled at by the customer again tomorrow morning.”

Zhang Xiande turned and glanced at him. "Are you planning to go back and deal with this so late?"

"What else can we do? The hopes of 'Le Kee Delivery' rest on my shoulders. If I don't work hard, Le Kee will eventually fail."

You Jiale hugged the documents to her chest, thinking, "You guys should leave quickly. Boss, I feel sorry for you. Go home and rest early. See you tomorrow."

Zhang Xiande looked at him with a puzzled expression and asked, "What do you mean by 'the sky is cold and the music breaks'?"

You Jiale looked at him with the same care and concern one would give an elderly person: "It's getting cold, which means it's time to bankrupt Leji. You wouldn't understand even if I explained, so hurry back."

Xiao You added, nodding to Pei Zhiyuan, "Take care, Mr. Pei."

Pei Zhiyuan chuckled and nodded in response, his eyes devoid of any warmth: "Thank you for your hard work, Assistant You."

The two turned and left. Zhang Xiande's shadow was quickly stretched long by the streetlights. Pei Zhiyuan said something in a low voice. The two walked side by side into the depths of the night.

After Pei Zhiyuan and Zhang Xiande's figures completely disappeared at the end of the alley, the brief silence in the courtyard was broken by a light, laughing voice—

You Jiale turned his head at the sound and saw Lin Zhi holding a file while looking at him with a smile, her eyes full of gossip.

Lin Zhi, this girl isn't in the original book. She's a new assistant that You Jiale found for herself. After all, most of the people who appeared in the original book were related to Zhang Xiande, and You Jiale figured she needed someone with a more "clean" reputation by her side. This girl has only been with the company for a few days, but she's already quite efficient, quick-witted, and incredibly clever.

This girl has only been here a few days. She's efficient and decisive in her work. Although she's called an assistant, she's actually half helping out and half doing odd jobs. She's quite clever and quick-witted.

"Hey, Linzi, found some money? You're so happy." You Jiale didn't even lift her eyelids, her tone slightly joking.

Lin Zhi put the documents on the table, leaned closer, and lowered her voice, "Brother Jiale, have you heard? People outside are saying..."

Upon hearing this, You Jiale immediately perked up, raising an eyebrow. "What are you spreading rumors about? Don't keep me in suspense, just spit it out."

"Oh, well..." Lin Zhi deliberately dragged out her words, her eyes darting around, "It's just that our boss... and you..." She stopped mid-sentence, covering her mouth and secretly laughing.

You Jiale knew perfectly well what this girl wanted to say, and inwardly cursed her for being a "gossip," but on the surface she pretended to be indifferent, "What's wrong with me and the boss? I work for him hand and foot, what else could it be?"

You Jiale pursed her lips, slowly rolled up her sleeves, and said in a lazy tone with a hint of threatening authority: "Xiao Linzi, let me tell you, the reason I hired you is because you're a 'newcomer,' someone who keeps quiet and hasn't picked up any of those gossipy habits. If you dare to join them in spreading rumors..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhi quickly raised her hands in surrender: "I'm innocent, Brother Jiale! I swear, I just arrived and don't know anything! I didn't hear a single word of that nonsense!"

"Hmph." You Jiale's lips curled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of threat. "That had to be. If you dare to gossip behind my back, I'll curse you—you'll always sprain your ankle when you go out, never eat meat, and suffer from sleep paralysis at night!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhi was so frightened that she stuck out her tongue and quickly hid in the inner room. "Brother Jiale, spare me! I was wrong, okay? But..." She ran to the door, but couldn't help turning back and winking at You Jiale. "Maybe it won't be a rumor in a few days! When that happens, Brother Jiale, don't blame me for not reminding you. Be careful not to be troubled by love and lose your appetite!" After saying that, she slipped into the inner room like a gust of wind.

Yu Jiale watched her lively, bouncing figure, rolling his eyes in exasperation. "So I paid you to spread rumors about me, huh?!" He shook his head helplessly.