47: He can soothe himself.

Shang Zhi felt that Pei Yanxiu's eyes were filled with loneliness at this moment, and that loneliness was slowly creeping into her heart.

He is a good man.

But not a good lover.

She understands him, but she is unwilling to succumb to this and let herself fall completely. She is always anxious to separate herself from him in her own sphere. Love is important, but not so important that she would give up her freedom and everything else. She cannot bear the thought of being scrutinized from head to toe and controlled by him from the inside out one day.

That's terrible.

Shang Zhi couldn't understand him. She felt that two people are two people, and even if they were together, they would still be two people. But he always wanted the two of them to be intertwined and grow together.

"There's something I want to discuss with you." Shang Zhi paused for a moment before finally making up her mind and speaking.

"Lu Ke invited me to play a small role, just dancing, for two days. I want to go."

"Are you discussing this with me, or informing me?" Pei Yanxiu leaned against the bed, smiling somewhat helplessly.

"If I disagree, will you listen to me?"

“I want to give it a try. It would be a really fun experience for me. Didn’t you say that we should try as many things as possible in life?”

"Go." Pei Yanxiu gently closed his eyes.

-

On the day of filming, Shang Zhi was picked up by Lu Ke's car, and Pei Yanxiu watched her being taken away from upstairs. He kept trying to convince himself that she was just having fun, and as he turned on his computer to enter the meeting, his mind was still drawn to her image from just now.

"Mr. Pei, everything is ready. Shall we begin the meeting?" His assistant's voice came through the earpiece, pulling him back to reality.

Several subordinates took turns reporting on their work, and even though he was somewhat distracted, he still managed to keenly capture a few key points.

"What happened to the significant drop in hotel business profits last quarter?"

"Here's the thing, Mr. Pei. The Tiancui project has consumed too much of our funds. I've adjusted our costs. The quality of several hotels, restaurants, and various consumables under Wanjia has been slightly reduced. Although the profit margin has decreased, considering the costs, the overall profitability has increased."

"Aren't you guys being ridiculous? You're willing to sacrifice the brand's reputation for such a paltry sum? Change it back, change it back right now! Besides, the money we gave to Tiancui was all under control and didn't cause us any significant impact. Why are you doing this?"

"President Pei, please don't worry. This matter was reportedly initiated by the finance department. We heard from the bottom of the air that it was the chairman's idea. We heard that there was a problem with the mine in Myanmar, and the chairman is trying to find a solution."

"Do you have detailed information? Send it to me after the meeting."

"OK."

Pei Yanxiu had a bad feeling. His father had always cared a lot about Wan Jia's reputation. If even these basic things were being touched, it meant that things were already very serious. He called Pei Wang, but no one answered. He then sent him a message, asking him to call him back after seeing it.

After the meeting, Pei Yanxiu couldn't stay in the room any longer. He drove out, and with Shang Zhi not by his side, he felt lost and didn't know where to go.

The road ahead was blocked by a group of people. Pei Yanxiu got out of the car and saw that a film crew was shooting a movie. He was about to turn around and leave, but he was attracted by what the girl next to him was saying.

"The girl who plays Lu Ke's ex-wife is really beautiful. She really brought out the aloof yet pretentious nature of the 'white moonlight' character. They have great chemistry, and they look like they've dated before."

"It's hard to say. We really did talk. After all, Lu Ke's experience is so extensive it could fill a book."

"He's a total jerk, but he's really handsome."

Pei Yanxiu paused and looked inside. It really was Lu Ke and Shang Zhi. They seemed to be filming a farewell drama, embracing each other tightly. Her expression was serene, but the deep affection in his eyes ignited the atmosphere around them.

She was wearing a cool white coat and leaned gently against him; she looked so beautiful.

When the director yelled "Clap!", Shang Zhi showed a hint of excitement, turned her head, and caught sight of him standing in the crowd. They stared at each other for a few seconds, but Lu Ke quickly broke the silence, pulling her aside and saying her performance was excellent.

Pei Yanxiu couldn't stand it anymore.

He had originally intended to let the matter rest, thinking it was just a minor character and wouldn't cause much of a stir. But the scene of Lu Ke and Shang Zhi embracing under the snow was so beautiful that it was captured on camera and instantly went viral online. A few photos, paired with perfectly chosen background music, evoked a poignant sense of love amidst a stormy sea.

At first, he spent some money trying to suppress the hype, but the speed at which it spread was too fast for him to control. Furthermore, Lu Ke's ambiguous answers during the interview added to the ambiguous atmosphere between the two.

When Shang Zhi returned, her face was clearly apologetic; she hadn't expected things to turn out this way.

"Uncle Pei, I brought you some local specialties: sweet and sour pork and pork ribs. We've been here for so long and haven't tried any of the local specialties yet. Shall we try them together today?" Shang Zhi spread out the steaming takeout in front of Pei Yanxiu, along with his favorite black coffee.

Pei Yanxiu reached out to take the rice Shang Zhi handed him when her phone rang at an inopportune moment.

It's Lu Ke again.

"I'm sorry, Xixi, for causing you trouble. I didn't know things would develop like this. I've already been communicating with the media to remove the relevant news. Right now, the main problem is that many of these posts aren't from the media but are being shared spontaneously by netizens, so it's hard to control."

"Would your family be unhappy if they saw this? Do I need to go and explain it to them?"

"It's alright, Brother Lu. With the public opinion so intense right now, will it have any negative impact on you?"

"No, don't worry about me. I'm a natural at trending on social media, so this kind of thing is nothing new to me. Just make sure your family doesn't misunderstand."

Pei Yanxiu felt a fire burning inside him. He couldn't take it anymore, so he walked straight to Shang Zhi, snatched her phone, pinned her arms against the wall, and pressed his kiss against her lips. He was forceful, as if he wanted to steal her breath, holding her down tightly, not allowing her to move an inch.

She kept going until she couldn't take it anymore and bit him hard on the shoulder.

"You wanted to try, so I let you try. Now it's over. What's there left for you to talk about with him?" A hand pinched her chin, making it hurt.

He was just explaining to me...

"What's there to explain? Things have already turned out this way, can explanations change anything?"

“Pei Yanxiu, you are being unreasonable! Lu Ke meant well, he was worried that you would be affected.”

"Kindness? What good intentions could a weasel have when it offers New Year's greetings to a chicken?"

"What exactly do you want from me? Either you just kill me, or you doubt everything I do! I've had enough! What have I done wrong? I'm asking you, what have I done wrong!"

The two didn't reach a conclusion after arguing all night.

Enraged, Shang Zhi kicked Pei Yanxiu onto the sofa to sleep, forbidding him from touching her and telling him to reflect on his actions alone. Pei Yanxiu was also angry. If she hadn't done anything wrong, then was he? He cared about her too much; why couldn't she care about him as much as he cared about her?

【XiXi, if your family is unhappy, don't be angry. Tell me and I'll help you handle it.】

From his perspective, it's understandable. After all, he's your partner, and seeing his wife being randomly paired with other people online is bound to be difficult for him to accept.

Lu Ke sent Shang Zhi a lot of messages, and by the end she was sleepy. She felt that Lu Ke was a million times more magnanimous than Pei Yanxiu, who would get angry at the slightest thing.

In the latter half of the night, as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt him climb back into bed, his cold hands enveloping her. She tried to push him away, but she couldn't budge him.

"roll."

"Where am I supposed to go, Xixi? It's cold there. I want to stay by your side." Pei Yanxiu's slightly humble tone made Shang Zhi feel a little sad. She turned around and pressed her nose against his arm.

"You're not angry anymore, Uncle Pei?"

"It's all my fault."

Shang Zhi couldn't understand how Pei Yanxiu had managed to coax her. She thought he was a strange person; sometimes he was like a wild beast, and sometimes he was as gentle as a little rabbit. But she didn't want to think about it anymore. She was sleepy, and her eyes were too tired to stay open.

Under the moonlight, he gently rubbed her face.