69: Happy Birthday, Xixi!

Before Shang Zhi could ask Pei Yanxiu what he meant, he disappeared from her sight. She didn't press him to ask what he had just said.

Thinking back to yesterday, my face flushed slightly.

"Ah Zhi, are you in class? I've arrived in Los Angeles, can I come visit you?"

"When did you arrive? Why didn't you tell me beforehand! You're pregnant now, you need to be careful, my Xing!"

"It was a last-minute decision. There's a necklace I really like at the auction in a couple of days, and I'm really itching to buy it. Would you like to come see me now?"

"I'll come pick you up."

Lu Xingqi looked noticeably fuller, her face glowing. Shang Zhi and Pei Wang arrived almost simultaneously. After a brief greeting, Pei Wang took Lu Xingqi's bag and was then asked to buy her milk tea.

"Ah Zhi, you've lost weight. Is it because dancing is too strenuous?" Shang Zhi had indeed lost several pounds since returning to dance due to the high intensity of the exercise, which made Lu Xingqi feel a little sorry for her.

"Don't push yourself too hard, just do your best."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I'd like to ask you what's going on between you and A-Wang. I remember you two didn't get along at first, so why did you agree to get pregnant?"

"It was an accident, but since he's already here, I'm going to keep him. Besides, A-Wang likes him a lot. A-Zhi, what's the situation between you and President Pei now?"

"I want to change my environment. I really can't stand it anymore. I think you can understand me." Ah Wang bought two cups of milk tea and came back. Shang Zhi helped Xingxing into the car.

“I understand, the men in the Pei family are all very stubborn.”

"But Ah Wang still made you behave so well, I'm so envious."

“My brother is different from me.” Pei Wang, who was sitting in front, smiled when he heard Shang Zhi’s words.

“The old man has never given me a kind look since I was born. I treat him the same way he treats me. It’s not difficult for me to break free from the constraints of my family and live a different life, but my brother can’t. Pei Qing’an has placed high hopes on him since he was a child. They love him on one hand, and on the other hand, they discipline him with the strictest education. Abuse breeds loyalty, you know? I can break free, but he can’t.”

“Sister-in-law, I have to say something to my brother. He probably doesn’t understand what love is at all. This is what he’s been taught since he was a child: whip you and hug you. For 28 years, he’s become one with the abyss. He can’t escape it.”

"When he met you, he had already given his all to love you. His actions might be distorted, and he might make mistakes, but it's perfectly normal for that to happen to him."

"I'm sick, the whole world knows that, but he's too outstanding. He's even more seriously ill than me, but it's not so easy to notice. Actually, he's a little pitiful, isn't he?"

“My brother thinks he knows everything, but he doesn’t know anything except work. He doesn’t understand love or women, so marriage is bound to be a disaster.”

“But he has tried very hard, really, he has used almost every method he could find with you.”

"Take the matter of investing in Tiancui back then, the old man was absolutely against it. He just knelt in the courtyard all night, and the old man had no choice."

Shang Zhi was a little stunned. She knew that what A Wang said today made some sense, and it was a perspective she had not thought of before.

"Kneeling all night? He never told me about this."

"How could he tell you that he likes you so much? He has to pretend in front of you."

"Azhi, don't mind him, he's just talking nonsense." Seeing that Pei Wang was in a bad mood, Lu Xingqi squeezed Shang Zhi's fingers.

"It doesn't matter."

Shang Zhi felt a little confused. She wanted to ask him if these things were true and why he never mentioned them to her.

“There’s no point in talking about this now. We’re divorced, so let’s not dwell on the past.” Shang Zhi took a big gulp of her milk tea and turned her gaze to the car window. Just then, her phone rang. She saw that it was a call from the Tiancui project. Shang Zhi was a little nervous. The company knew that she was studying in Los Angeles and wouldn’t contact her unless it was something very important.

"President Pei, there's a problem with the paperwork; our membership application is stuck."

"Joining certificate?"

"It's an occupancy permit, which proves that the building structure is safe, meets building standards, and can be legally occupied. It is issued by the Buildings Department. Our application was inexplicably returned without telling us what the problem was."

"I understand, I'll handle this." Shang Zhi suppressed the urge to smash her phone. She knew without a doubt who did it, but she didn't expect them to act so quickly!

"Pei Yanxiu, where are you!" Shang Zhi angrily dialed Pei Yanxiu's number, but his nonchalant tone only fueled her anger.

"What's wrong?"

"Did you cause the problem with the membership certificate? Tiancui is also your project, why did you do this to yourself?"

"Are you asking me for help? If so, watch your attitude."

"......"

“The Tiancui project is indeed my project, but I can bear the consequences. What about you? Can you bear them? If the project continues like this, do you know how much Ruikang will lose? Xixi, you are still too naive.” Pei Yanxiu knew that it was shameless of him to use the project to threaten Xixi, but he really couldn’t stand it anymore. He would rather be shameless and be scolded than let her go back to his side.

If this continues, it will be too late; those rotten flies will swarm in.

"Pei Yanxiu, are you crazy?!"

"I'll remind you one more time: watch your tone of voice."

What exactly do you want?

"I'll send you an address. Come over, and we'll talk slowly."

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" Shang Zhi hung up the phone, and Lu Xingqi came over.

"That old bastard actually threatened me with the project, shameless!" Shang Zhi was still indignant. She had expected him to retaliate, but she never expected him to target Tian Cui, whom she cared about most. Tian Cui couldn't be harmed no matter what. Her father had been hospitalized because of Tian Cui, and she worried that he wouldn't be able to handle any further trouble.

"Try to think positively. Maybe your fate isn't over yet, and you can't shake it off even if you want to." Lu Xingqi felt sorry for Shang Zhi, but there was nothing she could do.

Pei Yanxiu sent Shang Zhi the location of a hotel.

The door opened the moment Shang Zhi knocked, and the lights in the room slowly came on. Shang Zhi saw that the room was full of roses, and the lighting was adjusted to a very ambiguous tone.

"Happy birthday, Xixi. Let's eat first, then you can see the present, okay?"

"It's my birthday, I almost forgot." Shang Zhi's nose felt a little sore. She had been so busy all year with so many things to do at home that she had completely forgotten it was her birthday.

She took out her phone and silently took pictures of the room full of roses.

She had prepared ten thousand insults for him before coming, but now she couldn't say any of them.