65: I didn't expect you to come.

"Xixi, are you alright?" Shang Zhi's thoughts were pulled back. She had accidentally dialed Pei Yanxiu's voice while thinking about something. Her ears turned slightly red. She wanted to hang up, but then she heard a deep sigh on the other end, and she suddenly couldn't bring herself to press the call button on her phone.

"Uncle Pei, I want to ask you a question."

"you say."

"Was I too willful?" Shang Zhi felt a pang of sadness and began to doubt whether her decision to return to school was the right one. She had already taken a break from school for so long, she had already paused, she really didn't need to come back and suffer like this. At her current pace, let alone making it to next month's selection, she was afraid she would have difficulty even graduating. She wondered how many people would be watching her make a fool of herself.

"What do you mean?" Pei Yanxiu did not comfort her, in fact, he had rarely comforted her over the years.

"I don't know if I can still do it. I haven't done it for so long, and I feel like my body is stiff. I can't do many basic movements. I feel like I've really made a big mess of things for myself."

"Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I just can't do it."

"Why aren't you saying anything?" There was silence on the other end of the phone.

"Are you telling me all this because you want me to comfort you? Xixi, since you've decided to come back and study again, you should have expected to encounter new problems. When you encounter difficulties and troubles, the first thing you should think about is how to solve the problems, not how to find reasons to give up." His voice deepened, and Shang Zhi unconsciously straightened up.

It was as if he were right in front of me.

“Studying is tough, and building your career is tough too, but I understand you, Xixi. Endure the pain, persevere through the difficulties. Aren’t you supposed to support this family? Aren’t you supposed to shoulder the responsibility of Ruikang? What’s this little bit of pain? I know you can get through it. If you can’t, come to me. I have plenty of ways to help you get through it.”

Even after separating from Shang Zhi, Pei Yanxiu's sense of responsibility towards her did not diminish in the slightest. He had loved her for so long that it had almost become a physical instinct, and he couldn't stop even if he wanted to.

After being scolded by him, Shang Zhi's sadness vanished, replaced by a surge of longing for her dreams. She wanted to win, not only for herself and Ruikang, but also for her parents. Since they had chosen to have only one daughter, she had to ensure they lived a beautiful life.

She had heard too many rumors since childhood, saying that as a girl, she would definitely be taken advantage of in the future, that she was completely incapable of managing a company as large as Ruikang, that she would only mess things up, and that she had to have a son as an heir. He was right. She couldn't wallow in self-pity all day long. She could fail, but she couldn't back down before even entering the battlefield. She couldn't be weak. In the future, many, many more battles awaited her.

"Xixi, if you're feeling down, don't overthink it. Go practice. Don't worry about what happens next at Tiancui, I'll handle it. Since you want to have this stage, give it your all. Don't think about anything else."

"Whether you get it or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you persevered with all your might and didn't give up. Do you understand?"

"I understand." How could she not understand? From childhood to adulthood, she had received so much guidance and reprimand from him. Unlike most people around her, he would not say nice things to flatter her, would weave a beautiful web for her with words, and would tell her that girls do not need to work so hard and can just find a good man to marry in the future.

He kept telling her that she had to rely on herself, even though he gave her countless supports and encouragements in his actions.

He would push her until she couldn't take it anymore, and after she had cried her heart out, he would coldly demand that she continue.

"Uncle Pei, thank you for today. I'm sorry to bother you so late." The deliberately distant words made Pei Yanxiu feel uncomfortable, and he frowned on the other end of the phone.

"When are you finally going to finish up here? Shouldn't you be heading back?" Pei Yanxiu hung up the phone, in a bad mood. Pei Wang, who had come out for a drink and a stroll, was being targeted. Ah Wang was completely innocent; he hadn't done anything wrong and yet he was being disliked.

"Why are you taking your anger out on me when you can't even catch up with your wife? Honestly." Seeing his elder brother gathering his strength, Pei Wang's smile immediately turned obsequious.

"Brother, that's not what I meant. Seeing you so worried all the time makes me feel bad too. What's wrong, is it still about Xixi's new dance drama?"

“Xixi used to hold a very important position in the dance troupe. This time the change is too great, and I'm afraid she won't be able to handle it.”

"Is this a big deal for you? Bro, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're usually pretty smart. What's wrong with you this time? Tsk tsk tsk."

"What's the meaning?"

“Brother, aren’t you rich? It’s just a dance troupe selecting a few dancers. Can you sponsor some? A thousand pieces of gold can’t buy your wife’s happiness, right?” Pei Yanxiu’s eyes lit up when he heard A Wang’s words. A Wang was right. How come he hadn’t thought of that? He immediately asked his assistant to contact the dance troupe and reserve the principal dancer position for Xixi. He breathed a sigh of relief the moment he did.

"Brother, you've done so much for your wife behind her back, aren't you going to tell her?"

"No need, as long as she's happy."

After talking to Pei Yanxiu that night, Shang Zhi practiced diligently every day, and Yu Qing would come to keep him company whenever he had free time. Yu Qing was different from Pei Yanxiu; he was very professional and very gentle. To Shang Zhi, he was too gentle. Sometimes, when he encouraged her, it was like coaxing a baby, saying things that you would only hear in a children's dance class, which made her both amused and exasperated.

"Ah Zhi is great! Keep it up! The next one will be even better!" Perhaps, she was really not used to this kind of thing. When she looked at Yu Qing's bright smile, she could only picture another pair of cold eyes.

Shang Zhi couldn't understand what was wrong with her. She had clearly gained the freedom she wanted, and Yu Qing was very considerate and caring towards her, but why did she always have this feeling that only that person had ever entered her heart?

She tried to tell herself that she wasn't expecting him, but rather that he had driven her to a mental breakdown and made her somewhat mentally unstable.

After finishing her practice, Shang Zhi dragged Yu Qing to dinner. Yu Qing had been practicing with her a lot lately, and she had said she would treat him to a nice meal. As night deepened, Shang Zhi was exhausted from practicing all night and was also hungry. As she walked into the restaurant, she almost bumped into someone in front of her without noticing.

Fortunately, she was steadied by a long, strong arm; the hand was quite firm, gripping her so tightly it hurt a little. She recognized the faint scent of perfume wafting in the air. She jerked her head up, intending to apologize to the person she'd bumped into, but froze in place.

"Uncle Pei." Shang Zhi was a little embarrassed. What a coincidence that she could run into him here.

"Walking without looking where you're going."

"Why aren't you home yet, so late?" He glanced down at his watch, then at her, his gaze as sharp as ever, filled with scrutiny and a strong sense of pressure.

"Practicing."

"Practice should follow scientific principles. If you don't sleep well this late, how will you have the energy tomorrow?"

"I'll be more careful next time." Shang Zhi blushed, not understanding why she reflexively explained to him.

"I won't be by your side, so take good care of yourself." Pei Yanxiu sighed softly, took off his suit jacket, and draped it over Shang Zhi.

"It gets colder tonight, and the temperature difference is big, so wear this."

"Azhi." Yu Qing called out to her from the front. Upon hearing Yu Qing's voice, Pei Yanxiu's expression darkened. He had told her to take good care of herself, but she was taking too good care of herself!

"Brother, who is that man? Why is he with my sister-in-law? Did someone steal your boyfriend?"

"Shut up if you don't want to get slapped here." Pei Yanxiu glanced at Pei Wang, who felt that his older brother was just having an impotent rage.

While eating, Shang Zhi casually glanced downstairs. He was still there, giving some kind of interview. He was always very experienced in handling these kinds of situations. Facing the host's questions one after another, he remained smiling and calm, yet always exuded an aura of aloofness that kept strangers at bay.

In fact, he has always been like this. At the company, many people think he is cold and unpredictable. Outside, he is so taciturn that he would rather use one word than two. Outsiders can never figure out what is on his mind.

Some competitors tried to win his heart with their femininity, only to find it was wishful thinking. They even suspected he was some kind of reptilian being lurking among humans.

Over the years, his cold heart only warmed again when he was with Shang Zhi.