Chapter 23 (Revised)

The drizzle of late spring, like a silk curtain blown askew by the wind, silently draped the bluestone road.

"Why is it raining again..."

The sky was filled with dark clouds, and if she looked up slightly, a light drizzle would brush against her cheeks.

It seems to be the rainy season lately, and this kind of light rain is the most uncomfortable thing.

Yun Zhan lowered her head. She was already quite a distance from Mingyue Manor, but the warmth of Shi Mingyue's words, "I will not marry anyone but you," still lingered in her heart, and her steps grew heavier and heavier.

Raindrops fell on his night clothes, staining them with dark ink, but Yun Zhan remained oblivious until a clear, cold female voice pierced through the rain and mist—

"Yun Zhan, the rain is getting heavier, why are you still walking in the wind?"

Yun Zhan looked up and saw a transparent umbrella leaning against the ginkgo tree.

The umbrella handle held a slender hand with nails painted a very pale primrose color, which made the skin appear even whiter.

The person under the umbrella was Pei Yanxi, the woman she had shared a bed with in the past few days.

Pei Yanxi walked to Yun Zhan's side. She seemed to have applied some lip gloss, and her rosy lips were particularly alluring in the night. Her long black hair was casually draped over her waist, making her look like an elegant and noble cat.

She was wearing a short skirt today, the hem of which wasn't high. As she closed her umbrella, a section of her shapely calves was revealed. Raindrops slid down her fair skin, making Yun Zhan's heart flutter...

She tilted the umbrella towards Yun Zhan, her own shoulders immediately becoming dark wet, but she didn't care at all.

"I asked Jiang Yanmo, and you didn't go back to the dorm... Let me guess—"

Pei Yanxi's voice was low and soft, with a hook-like ending, "Just got back from Wen Sixue's place?"

As he spoke, he tapped the umbrella handle twice with his fingertips, the tapping sound mixed with the rain, carrying a hint of aggressive questioning.

Yun Zhan was slightly taken aback. Before he could speak, Pei Yanxi turned to the side and handed the umbrella handle to Yun Zhan, gesturing for him to hold it.

"Don't stand there, your hands are all wet and red." Pei Yanxi's fingertips brushed against Yun Zhan's fingers, the temperature higher than the rain, like a small cluster of smoldering fire.

The two stood side by side under a small umbrella, her arm almost touching Yun Zhan's arm, their movements barely perceptible as they walked.

"I wasn't with Wen Sixue..." Yun Zhan denied Pei Yanxi's words. She wasn't actually with Wen Sixue.

"Where did you go?"

Pei Yanxi nodded, her voice soft, as she casually brushed the damp hair from her neck, a faint fragrance wafting through the quiet rainy night.

"Maybe I'm not in a good mood today... um... I just went out for a walk..."

Yun Zhan felt a little guilty, and she lowered her head, not daring to meet Pei Yanxi's gaze.

Oh no... I lied again. I promised Pei Yanxi that I would study hard at school, but now I've been caught sneaking out.

“I believe you.” She suddenly leaned closer, her nose almost touching Yun Zhan’s earlobe. “The scent of agarwood mixed with dampness—you don’t look like you came from indoors, and Wen Sixue wouldn’t have a scarf like this.”

Warm, moist breath brushed against his ear, and Yun Zhan instinctively looked away, only to find his ear tips turning red.

“This scarf alone costs over six figures, and it’s not even for sale. Judging from its condition, it must be brand new.” Pei Yanxi turned her head and her gaze fell precisely on the scarf Yun Zhan was wearing.

An expensive camel hair scarf hung around Yun Zhan's neck. Pei Yanxi smelled a faint floral fragrance, but it wasn't Yun Zhan's...

It smelled like another woman.

So, Yun Zhan may have gone somewhere else and met another beautiful girl.

Pei Yanxi's fingertips paused in mid-air for a moment, her gaze momentarily stung when she saw the scarf, but she quickly withdrew them as if nothing had happened.

But his eyes couldn't hide it.

She pretended nothing had happened, but she couldn't hide the suspicion in her heart. Pei Yanxi's long eyelashes drooped, concealing the turmoil in her eyes.

She turned her head to look at the wet ginkgo trees in the distance, raindrops clinging to the tips of the leaves, about to fall, much like herself…

There were no questions, and no sighs.

She simply pursed her lips slightly, drawing a straight line, as if suppressing her emotions that were about to overflow.

When she looked up again, her lips were pressed into a thin, indifferent line, carrying her usual languor and aloofness, like a cold light vaguely reflected through a rain curtain.

"The umbrella is tilted."

Pei Yanxi whispered a reminder, her voice even softer than the rain.

She reached out and straightened the umbrella handle for Yun Zhan, her fingertips not touching the scarf, but rather going around it.

"This color doesn't suit you very well. Black suits you better. I'll get you a new one later."

Pei Yanxi's voice drifted in the rain, sounding somewhat muffled.

Seeing that Yun Zhan did not answer, Pei Yanxi slowed down her pace, her fingertips circling around the umbrella handle, as if holding onto a thought she wanted to express but couldn't.

As I walked to the bench at the school gate, the rain suddenly intensified.

Pei Yanxi stopped, and before Yun Zhan could speak, she pressed the car key in her hand. The hem of her black short skirt fell over her fair thighs, and the contrasting black and white made Yun Zhan shyly look away.

"The rain is getting heavier. I have something to do later. Come home with me." Pei Yanxi's umbrella was still tilted towards Yun Zhan, and her left shoulder was mostly wet.

"Okay, thank you for your help, senior..."

Looking at the torrential rain outside, Yun Zhan couldn't bring himself to refuse; going back now would definitely leave him soaked to the bone.

Pei Yanxi sat in the driver's seat, turning her head to the side. The streetlights accentuated the soft, sharp lines of her jawline. Her voice held a hint of helpless bitterness, "Actually, I knew you were lying... but..."

She held the tissue in her hand and wiped the dampness from Yun Zhan's cuffs. "After seeing you, I feel like none of that matters anymore."

"I'm glad you didn't get soaked..."

The sound of rain suddenly intensified, silencing Pei Yanxi's unnecessary words.

Yun Zhan gripped the car's armrest, his knuckles turning slightly white, and finally whispered, "Senior, I..."

Before he could finish speaking, the car had already started.

The black car splashed water into a puddle, and Pei Yanxi cut her off, saying, "Let's go home first, don't catch a cold."

Pei Yanxi was driving. The rain and mist were as thin as a veil. The streetlights shone from the side, just outlining the bone structure of her profile. Her senior's eyelashes were long and straight, with raindrops hanging at the ends, about to fall, adding a touch of damp softness to her natural cool beauty.

Yun Zhan was stunned for a moment... Actually, she had always thought that her senior's profile was very beautiful.

...

At midnight, a black Maybach glided into the private driveway, the raindrops reflected in the roof lights as flowing golden threads.

Pei Yanxi tossed the car keys to the doorman, her high heels clicking melodiously on the marble steps.

Yun Zhan followed behind her, his clothes half-wet, holding the umbrella that Pei Yanxi had just handed to him.

Passing through the long corridor, a three-meter-high crystal chandelier hangs under the high dome, its crystal pieces shattering and scattering under the warm golden light.

Pei Yanxi casually tied her long hair up, turned around and smiled at her: "Wait for me for five minutes, I'll bring you some new clothes."

Five minutes later, she reappeared, now wearing a burgundy long dress.

The extremely thin shoulder straps were adorned with dark red gemstones, the waistline was sharply defined, and the hem flowed like water across the carpet; with each step, the silk surface shimmered with a dark, fiery light. She wore no other jewelry, leaving only the vermilion mole behind her ear as the only vibrant color, seemingly unintentional, yet also deliberate.

She handed the black coat to Yun Zhan, her eyes briefly glancing at the scarf around his neck.

"It's wet, and this material needs to be repaired. Take it off first, and wear the one I gave you."

The scarf wasn't from any brand, but it was still shockingly expensive.

"Ah, thank you, senior. The money needed for this repair..."

"No need to give me money. However, there's a card game tonight, Yun Zhan, you might have to sit in for me."

Pei Yanxi handed Yun Zhan a black obsidian collar button. As her fingertips brushed against her collar, she spoke in a voice so low that only the two of them could hear, "Don't worry, it's just a game of cards. Many deals in high society are made over cards."

...

The place to play is a private card room on the top floor of a building in the city.

The elevator takes you directly there, and as soon as the door opens, the scents of agarwood and cedar fill the air. Floor-to-ceiling windows face the river bay, where neon lights cast long streaks of light across the water; inside, there is only a round ebony table, its surface inlaid with mother-of-pearl cloud patterns, gleaming with a milky white cool light under the lamp.

Three people were already seated around the round table.

Yun Zhan walked beside Pei Yanxi and observed her carefully.

Sitting directly in front was a young man in a gray suit, who looked to be in his early twenties. The glow of the cigar between his fingers flickered. When he saw Yun Zhan, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at her with great interest.

Next to the man was a young woman in a white shirt with silver scales embroidered on the cuffs. She looked very capable, like a career woman.

The last one was a girl wearing gold-rimmed glasses, with curly hair, and a limited-edition tourbillon watch.

Pei Yanxi patted the empty chair to her left, gesturing for Yun Zhan to sit down.

"I'm sorry to have kept everyone waiting. This is Yun Zhan, one of my men."

She gracefully crossed her right leg over her left knee, and a section of her snow-white ankle slid down from the hem of her red skirt, swaying in a breathtaking arc beside the ebony chair leg.

She tilted her head, her red lips almost touching Yun Zhan's earlobe, "I'll play one round first, then you can play one round for me. Do you know how to play cards?"

"I know a little bit..." Yun Zhan felt that this game looked familiar; he must have played it before.

Pei Yanxi responded with a soft "Mmm" and pulled the chessboard between the two of them.

"What if I lose? I'll lose a lot of money, won't I...?"

"Young lady, this has nothing to do with money. We're playing business at this table; the winner gets the operating rights to a golf course."

The older sister next to Yun Zhan, who had permed hair, kindly reminded him. She lit a cigarette, exhaling white smoke into the air.

"Senior, let's forget about it, I..."

"It's okay, I believe you." Pei Yanxi suddenly raised her hand and placed it on the back of Yun Zhan's hand, her fingertip touching the hidden card.

Before long, the first round of card games was halfway through, and the sound of champagne bottles being popped could be heard everywhere.

The boy in the suit is named Cheng Rang; his family owns a private bank.

He held the cards in his hand, a sharp smile on his face: "Sister Pei, I lost this round, how about I lend you your little assistant for a couple of days?"

Pei Yanxi did not reply immediately.

She first lowered her eyes, then gently ground her fingertips along the edge of the card, as if crushing an invisible sheet of thin ice.

When he looked up again, his eyes were so dark that no light could be seen.

Pei Yanxi's gaze swept over Cheng Rang's face, without scolding him or even frowning, she simply stared at him quietly for three seconds.

For those three seconds, it was as if the air had been sucked out of the sound, and the breaths of the other two people froze for a moment.

Cheng Rang's smile was still on his lips, but it was frozen by that chilling gaze, and a bit of ash unconsciously fell from the cigar between his fingers.

"Um, senior, I was just joking..."

Pei Yanxi tapped her fingertip lightly on the table, like an icicle hitting glass. Her voice was extremely cold as she glanced at the cards and said, "Keep playing."

Pei Yanxi simply pushed back the words "Lend me two days" with her eyes, so cold that the other person's Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Beneath the card table, Cheng Rang's knuckles clenched quietly.

What's with the attitude? If it weren't for your powerful father, who the hell would listen to you?

Although that's what he was thinking, Cheng Rang didn't dare show it. He knew that Pei Yanxi was a very suspicious person, and she could notice if something was slightly off.

Rest after the first game

Cheng Rang stood in front of the bathroom mirror, the cigar burning down to the end between his fingers, completely unaware that it was scalding his fingertips.

His gloomy face was reflected in the glass—his eyes were red from alcohol, but the corners of his mouth were pulled down in a vicious arc.

"Pei Yanxi... how dare a little girl step on me in public?"

He took a deep drag, the sparks blazing brightly, and then extinguished them in the crystal ashtray with a crisp cracking sound.

He made a phone call: "Go and find out who the woman next to Pei Yanxi is. She's quite my type."

Suddenly, the toilet door was pushed open forcefully. Cheng Rang frowned slightly, about to curse, when he saw a group of burly men in suits surrounding him.

Pei Yanxi walked up behind Cheng Rang in her high heels, the shoes making a dull thud on the teak floor.

"Let's do it."

She only said two words, and her voice was not loud.

Before he could finish speaking, Cheng Rang was struck by an elbow and staggered. He tried to retaliate in a panic, but before his fist could land, his wrist was twisted and dislocated with a crisp "crack".

Cheng Rang was startled and swung the broom to sweep across, but another bodyguard grabbed his wrist and twisted it—the broom clattered to the ground.

The next second, a knee strike to his abdomen made him bend over in pain; then, a palm strike to the back of his neck sent him crashing into the water, splashing up black spray.

Cheng Rang struggled, but the people Pei Yanxi brought pressed down on his back with one knee and locked his throat with their elbows.

Pei Yanxi walked slowly closer, her high heels clicking crisply in the puddles.

She half-squatted down, pinching Cheng Rang's chin with her fingertips, forcing him to look up.

"Cheng Rang," she said softly, yet her voice was like an ice blade.

"You're only here to play cards because I'm giving you face. With your family background, if I didn't give you face, you'd be nothing."

Sharp nails dug into Cheng Rang's face, mixing with the blood to form a pale pink color. He opened his mouth to curse, but only managed hoarse gasps.

"You'd better not get any ideas about her. You know, if I ask, no one in Yue will dare to do business with you. I mean what I say."

Pei Yanxi stood up and dusted her fingertips off as if they were stained with something dirty.

Pei Yanxi returned to the chess and card room. She slowly and deliberately straightened her skirt, the red silk shimmering dangerously under the lamplight.

"Sister, where is Cheng Rang?" the woman in the suit asked.

"He's not feeling well and probably can't come today. Let's continue playing."

She replied casually, but glanced at Yun Zhan out of the corner of her eye.

The rain curtain, separated by glass, closed behind her, like a silent curtain falling.

The other two people at the card table fell silent, and the card room suddenly became quiet.

They roughly knew what was going on.

A fit of rage for a beautiful woman…

Miss Pei is usually calm and composed; this is really unlike her...