Chapter 23: The Pei Family Banquet gave rise to a sharp thought...

Chapter 23:

On the morning of the next day, Zhui Lian's phone screen lit up.

A WeChat friend request popped up.

The profile picture was a close-up of an abstract artwork, but it was much clearer than the last time he saw it on Yu Peizhi's phone.

The nickname consists of just a concise "V."

After hesitating for a moment, Zhui Lian finally clicked "pass".

Before she could send a message, the other party's message popped up first.

【V.】: Xiaoyu told me that you wanted to add me.

This is in line with Pei Zhiwei's usual style: straightforward, neat, and without any unnecessary small talk.

Zhui Lian typed carefully: [Yes, Sister Zhiwei, long time no see.]

As soon as the message was sent, Pei Zhiwei's next message followed:

【V.】：Are you free at noon? Let's have lunch together. We haven't seen each other for a long time. Let's invite Xiaoyu to join us.

Zhui Lian unconsciously tightened her grip on the phone.

She really wanted to get close to Pei Zhiwei, but she didn't expect the other party to be so direct and proactive.

She replied: [I am free, where is it? ]

V.: You haven't been back home for a long time since you moved out that year, right? Let's meet at your house.

Home.

Refers to the Pei family villa.

The Pei family villa that once opened the door to another world for her.

The Pei family villa that eventually caused her to flee in a hurry.

There are too many past events that we don’t want to look back on buried there.

But thinking of what Xiaoxu sent...Zhui Lian let out a sigh of relief.

Yes, the most dangerous place is the safest place. The destination of the item was exactly the sending and receiving point in the servant area of ​​the Pei family.

The Pei family has many servants, so no one will pay special attention to it for a while.

So she had originally wanted to find a reason to visit Pei Zhiwei in the past two days and check her things, but if Yu Peizhi was here today... I was afraid...

Zhui Lian's fingertips paused, but she still replied: [Okay, I'll talk to Pei Zhi.]

As soon as he put down his phone, Yu Peizhi walked out of the bedroom.

He seemed to have just finished washing up, and there were still some water droplets on the black hair on his forehead, but he had already brushed it back, revealing the full picture of his handsome face.

"Baby, what are you looking at?"

He walked over naturally, put his arms around her from behind, rested his chin on her neck, and moved his eyes to her screen.

"Have you told Sister Zhiwei that I want to add her?" Zhui Lian asked.

"Ah...yes." Yu Peizhi slapped his head, his tone sounding a little apologetic. "I forgot to tell the baby about this. What's wrong? Did Sister Zhiwei add you?"

"Yes, she asked us to have lunch at Pei's house at noon." Zhui Lian tried to sound calm.

"OK."

Yu Peizhi agreed quickly, even with a hint of joy, "It's indeed been a long time since I last saw Sister Zhiwei."

He turned his head and kissed her cheek gently, his eyes as gentle as water: "That's right, I also want to see the place where the baby used to live."

＊

The Pei family villa still retains the appearance that Zhui Lian remembered, with a rather special layout.

There is a large garden in the middle of the villa with a musical fountain, and then it is divided into two villas on the east and west sides.

The villa on the east side is the master area. It is luxurious and magnificent in Baroque style, and every detail demonstrates the wealth and status that cannot be ignored.

The villa on the west side is much simpler, neat but lacking in decoration, and is obviously the servants' area.

In the spacious sunroom, Pei Zhiwei was wearing a neat white suit and skirt, with big wavy hair hanging down in front of her chest, exquisite makeup, and a strong aura.

She was leisurely enjoying her pre-dinner aperitif when she saw Yu Peizhi and Zhui Lian come in. Her eyes lingered on their clasped hands for a moment.

Then she nodded and said, "Sit down."

The atmosphere at the table was not very warm.

Occasionally, Pei Zhiwei and Yu Peizhi would chat about business investment and the art market, while Zhui Lian's gaze would always involuntarily drift towards the annex building to the west.

But most of the time, Yu Peizhi performed impeccably.

The long table was filled with exquisite dishes. The steamed Dongxing fish belly was snow-white, the black truffle baked lobster was rich in aroma... There was even a bright red dish of sweet and sour spare ribs placed not far from Zhui Lian.

Yu Peizhi naturally served the dishes to her, picked out the tiny bones in the fish belly, peeled the lobster shell, took out the white shrimp meat, dipped it in sauce and handed it to her.

As gentle and considerate as ever.

only--

In the middle of the meal, he smiled and said to Pei Zhiwei, "Sister Zhiwei, the chef here is really good. I see Lianlian has been picking up the sweet and sour pork ribs."

“If I have the chance, I really want to learn how to make this dish from them.”

He sighed softly, as if in distress, "Lianlian loves this dish the most, but I don't cook it very well, and she always refuses to eat it."

"Yeah?"

Pei Zhiwei replied calmly, "I remember Xiao Lian wasn't a picky eater. Maybe there's something wrong with your cooking skills, right, Xiao Lian?"

Sweet and sour pork ribs.

Should we bring it up in this situation?

Zhui Lian felt Yu Peizhi's doting gaze enveloping her, but a sharp thought arose in her mind.

She didn't answer the question, but instead spoke softly, seemingly unintentionally: "Sister Zhiwei... have you gone to pay your respects to him this year?"

She didn't mention any names, but everyone present knew who "he" was referring to.

The silver knife and fork reflected the light, and Pei Zhiwei's hand paused.

"Not yet, let's wait until the wedding is over."

Her tone was calm, without much emotion, and she threw the question back: "Xiao Lian, do you want to come with me?"

Zhui Lian did not answer immediately, but turned to look at Yu Peizhi beside him.

The corners of her lips curved into a faint smile, and her tone was light: "Pei Zhi, do you want to come with me?"

This question was quite provocative.

Worshiping a dead person, especially one whom he tried hard to imitate and probably hated out of jealousy.

Who in their right mind would agree to this?

This was almost a blatant test of Yu Peizhi's bottom line, trying to tear off that gentle disguise.

Yu Peizhi was wiping the corners of his mouth with a snow-white napkin, his movements elegant and natural.

Hearing this, he put down his napkin and looked up at Zhui Lian.

There was no displeasure on his face, but instead he showed a perfect smile.

"sure."

He answered easily and naturally, even with a touch of appropriate emotion, "It's just right that I go to his grave and ask him if there is anything I haven't learned well enough."

"That will also make Lianlian more satisfied."

The soft knife stabs back.

The twisted and creepy feeling made Zhui Lian instantly realize what he had just done.

Yu Peizhi felt her temptation and provocation.

Then he responded to her in a more extreme way.

Gentle, silent, controlled madness.

Pei Zhiwei frowned imperceptibly.

She seemed to feel a little uncomfortable with this, but she said nothing, just picked up the goblet and took a sip.

Yu Peizhi seemed to suddenly remember something and turned his gaze to Pei Zhiwei.

His tone became polite and natural: "By the way, Sister Zhiwei, is the room Lianlian used to live in here still there?"

Yu Peizhi: "I'm a little curious and want to go and take a look."

Bang!

Zhui Lian was startled and accidentally knocked over the goblet beside her with her raised elbow.

The untouched red wine inside instantly overflowed over the snow-white tablecloth, spreading a dark color.

The air was also filled with the aroma of red wine.

Here it comes.

He indeed made this request.

The room Pei Zhiwei originally arranged for Zhui Lian was on the fourth floor of the main building, opposite the madman.

That floor is actually the territory of lunatics.

She was like an outsider breaking into the kingdom of an autocratic king.

And later, when she realized that the madman's eyes were almost always on her, and became more paranoid and gloomy day by day - she felt an unprecedented fear.

Zhui Lian chose to act on his own.

She found an opportunity and immediately moved to the annex building allocated for servants to live in.

The room was small and simple, far less luxurious than the main building.

But it made her feel much more at ease.

The express delivery that Xiao Xu sent for her, which might contain the truth, had its address written on it - Pei family's annex building, servants' receiving and sending point!

If the items arrive, they are most likely placed in the public area on the first floor of the annex building.

When Yu Peizhi proposed to see her "old room", was he referring to the one in the main building now, or... did he know something and was hinting at something?

Upon hearing the sound, the servant immediately came forward to clean up the mess.

Zhui Lian raised her head, pressed down her trembling fingers, looked at Yu Peizhi, and forced herself to calm down.

His smile was still gentle, even a little expectant, as if he was just a husband who simply wanted to know about his wife's past.

But Zhui Lian knew that beneath the calm surface of the sea lay a turbulent undercurrent that could swallow her up.

"Nothing to see."

Zhui Lian took the initiative and said, "If you are really curious, Pei Zhi, I will accompany you to the fourth floor after dinner. My old room is there."

At this time Pei Zhiwei spoke.

"After Ayu left, the old man kept the fourth floor sealed. Apart from the servants who cleaned it regularly, no one went there."

She also elegantly pressed the corners of her mouth with her napkin, her tone flat and with a sense of detachment.

"If I let you in now, I'm afraid you might think it's unlucky."

Seal? Unlucky?

None of this matters.

Just don't let Yu Peizhi go to the annex building.

Besides... she suddenly had a crazy idea. She really wanted to go back to her original room.

"It's okay, Sister Zhiwei."

Zhui Lian immediately responded, her voice light but firm, "I don't think it's unlucky at all. I just haven't been back for many years... and I want to go back and take a look."

Pei Zhiwei turned her gaze to Yu Peizhi, as if asking for his opinion.

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The author has something to say: The next chapter should be Xiaoyu's long-awaited crazy [pat head]