Chapter 51: Pinky hook "Then I'll be gentle."

The eldest son of the Pei family in S city, who was said to have been buried in a foreign land for many years, actually came back.

This was the news that spread like wildfire throughout the upper class of S City since the funeral of the old man of the Pei family.

Some people said that the one who came back was not the young master of the Pei family at all, but just a substitute. The young master of the Pei family they had seen had blond hair and was arrogant and conceited. He was not supposed to be this elegant and gentle.

But no matter what kind of discussions there were, it could not hinder the wedding preparations that began in full swing along with the news.

——The upcoming wedding of the suddenly returning eldest young master of the Pei family and the beautiful woman with a delicate temperament beside him.

Zhui Lian lives in that small house, and her life is peaceful and fulfilling. She paints, reads, and does some simple baking in her spare time. Occasionally, she goes out to see an art exhibition or volunteer at some charity organizations.

Pei Zhiyu also seemed to have really changed his personality.

At least this time, none of the friends she made during these activities had "broken their hands" or needed to "move overnight"...

So in this peaceful time, Zhui Lian's attitude seemed to have quietly changed.

She no longer resisted his approach. The two of them could eat peacefully at the same table, occasionally chatting about trivial matters. Sometimes, Pei Zhiyu would even accompany her to participate in some charity activities, and she would take the initiative to hold her sketchbook and walk into his study. While he was handling affairs, she would sit under the bay window and paint quietly.

Occasionally, when Pei Zhiyu had a stomachache, she would silently hand him warm water and pills. When their fingertips touched, she would no longer retract them quickly, but pause for a moment.

She acted so well, so well that sometimes she almost believed that the heavy past could really be blown away by the wind, and that perhaps they could really have a brand new beginning.

Pei Zhiyu saw all her changes.

Zhui Lian told him that she hoped he would stop imitating Qiao Xunli and be himself, and he agreed.

But his understanding of another person over the years had become so ingrained that certain habits were hard to shake off. For example, he would sometimes subconsciously put on that smile he'd practiced a thousand times, specifically imitating Qiao Xunli; and when he spoke to Zhui Lian, he'd still unconsciously adopt that deliberately gentle tone...

But as the wedding draws closer, this final dance beneath the calm sea is getting closer to beginning.

The real change in the relationship happened late one night.

The dim light melted into a piece of bright amber in the living room on the first floor of the small western-style building. Inside the amber layer, a figure curled up on the sofa was wrapped in Zhui Lian.

Her long chestnut curly hair was spread out behind her head, and she was covered with a thin blanket. She was sleeping peacefully with shallow breathing.

Pei Zhiyu approached lightly and stopped in front of the sofa.

Under the light, every tiny hair on her face was clearly visible.

How did you fall asleep here?

No need to worry about catching a cold.

Pei Zhiyu stretched out his hand with some concern, intending to pick up Zhui Lian horizontally, but his hand unconsciously turned and touched the other's cheek gently and lovingly.

Then he leaned over, carefully put his arms around her neck and knees, and picked her up.

But the moment he picked her up, the person in his arms moved.

Under the light, each long eyelash is clearly visible.

Zhui Lian slowly opened her eyes, her gaze hazy, as if she had just woken up from a dream.

“… Pei Zhiyu.” She raised her hand and rubbed her eyes, muttering unconsciously, “You’re finally back.”

So sleeping here...waiting for him?

"Yes, I'm here." Pei Zhiyu was stunned for a moment, then adjusted his arm and lifted the person up. He said in a low voice, "Did I wake you up?"

Zhui Lian didn't answer, she just looked up.

Lift your face and look at him.

At such a close distance, her eyes looked wet because she had just woken up, and reflected by the dim light, they seemed so bright that it seemed unreal.

"I also want to participate in the wedding preparations." Zhui Lian's tone was a little nasal, as if she had just woken up. "Is that okay?"

"Why do you suddenly want to get involved in this?" Pei Zhiyu raised an eyebrow, seeming a little puzzled. "Didn't you say before that you weren't interested in these things?"

Zhui Lian curled her lips, showing a little dissatisfaction with being questioned, but her whole body showed a rare liveliness.

"I've been watching a lot of wedding videos lately..." she muttered, her thin voice ringing close to his ear. "Have you forgotten? I studied design in college. I feel like there's a lot of room for creativity in invitations, gifts, venue decoration, and so on."

"Also..." Zhui Lian continued, "After the wedding, I want to find a design job. I can't stay at home all the time, so I want to find something to practice on first."

Pei Zhiyu looked down at her, and he carried her towards the stairs without stopping.

But the look in his eyes seemed a little hard to discern in the shadows.

"Hmm..." He responded softly, as if thinking.

Seeing that Pei Zhiyu was silent, Zhui Lian stretched out her arms, put them around his neck, and rubbed her face against him.

She buried her soft cheek in the crook of his neck, rubbing her chin against his slightly cool skin, as if she was being coquettish: "Okay?"

This sudden intimate action made Pei Zhiyu stiffen all over.

Ever since he started trying to shed his gentle facade in X City, she hadn't been so proactive in getting close to him in a long time.

He almost forgot what prompted him to take off the mask in the first place.

Is it jealousy?

A crazy thought sometimes gnawed at him, if only he could keep acting forever and ever.

Playing the role of the perfect stand-in, imitating Qiao Xunli's every word and action, completely burying his true self. Could he deceive her forever? Could he gain her constant gaze, even if that gaze was never truly on him, Pei Zhiyu?

This thought, like the apple from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden, exudes tempting sweetness, yet brings unbearable suffocation.

He is Pei Zhiyu.

A madman.

A bad person.

An arrogant and despicable person who is full of destructive and possessive desires in his bones.

He couldn't live in another person's shadow forever. He longed for her to see the real him, even if that reality was so unbearable.

This desire eventually tore through their disguise and pushed them deeper into the quagmire.

In this situation, when she put her arms around his neck and looked at him with bright eyes, she looked like a little snake tempting him to eat the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

No...no, maybe she has always been the forbidden fruit itself.

Pei Zhiyu did not move forward.

His steps stopped.

The two people stopped halfway up the stairs.

The light from the stairs shone down, illuminating some areas and leaving others dim.

Pei Zhiyu released his arms from holding Zhui Lian.

"Give me another reason."

He placed her on a platform halfway up the stairs, and he himself stood on the next step. His voice was not loud, even gentle, but it carried a kind of persistent exploration.

Behind him was the dim light in the living room that was still on.

The light slanted slightly, and the blur extended to his feet.

Behind Zhui Lian was a dark staircase winding upwards.

There was a picture frame hanging on the wall on one side of the platform, with a colorful painting hazily shrouded in the frame. The dark wooden steps were polished smooth, but exuded a cool feeling.

The height of the stairs was deliberately made larger than that of an ordinary house. At this angle, Zhui Lian had to lower her head to look at him.

"A reason?"

She took a deep breath.

"Because I hope this isn't just a show, but can become our—" She met his gaze and spoke word by word, "a real wedding."

Pei Zhiyu closed his eyes.

But he quickly opened his eyes again.

He raised his hand and grabbed Zhui Lian's wrist, his movements were light but his strength was firm.

"good."

The fingers at the wrist stroked forward, climbing up to Zhui Lian's little finger little by little.

Wrap your little finger around your little finger.

Hook.

The fingertips were cold, but the strength of the entanglement was strangely precious.

"Then let's... make a promise?"

Pei Zhiyu raised the corners of his lips into a smile, and his eyebrows and eyes also raised.

These naive and childish words, when spoken by him, were spoken with a kind of paradoxical seriousness.

At that moment, Zhui Lian seemed to see the blond boy in her memory.

She means, if, if—

If you ignore the other person's gaze as deep as the sea.

"Um."

Zhui Lian nodded, his eyebrows and eyes raised, and she followed suit, her almond-shaped eyes curved, and she answered softly, "Pink."

The wall lamp at the corner above seems to be shaking.

Casting a hazy halo.

On the wall, the blurry branches in the still picture frame are entangled.

Stretch quietly and drag silently.

The intertwined fingertips suddenly became hot.

Zhui Lian felt her wrist suddenly being gripped tightly. The man in front of her grabbed her wrist, jumped up a step, and stood beside her.

Her little fingers were still innocently hooked together, but Pei Zhiyu suddenly pulled her over.

She fell into his arms.

The next moment——

when.

My back gently hit the wall at the corner of the stairs.

The picture frame on the wall made a soft click.

She was pressed against the frame.

Pei Zhiyu leaned over and pressed his lips against hers.

There was no tenderness in this kiss, it had a force that was almost like gnawing.

His movements were urgent and violent, like a violent storm trying to tear her apart and devour her, as if he was confirming her existence in the most primitive way.

His breath was robbed, his lips were crushed, he pinched Zhui Lian's chin, and Zhui Lian was forced to raise her head and endure it.

Snap——

Without warning, a drop of warm liquid slid down from the corner of Zhui Lian's eye, ran down her cheek, and seeped into the two people's tightly pressed lips.

Pei Zhiyu's movements suddenly stopped.

He stepped back a little, and his slender fingertips brushed the corners of her moist eyes.

Then, he made a move that froze Zhui Lian's entire body—

He lowered his head and gently licked away the salty tear with the tip of his tongue.

"Why are you crying?" Pei Zhiyu asked in a hoarse voice, his breathing rising and falling.

Zhui Lian turned her head away, trying to avoid his overly focused gaze and that heart-pounding touch: "You're too hard... It hurts."

Pei Zhiyu silently looked at the line of her neck exposed when she turned sideways, which was slender and fragile.

He could easily hold it with one hand.

cut off.

But he couldn't bear to do it.

"Well, is that so?" He whispered, no emotion in his voice. "Then I'll be gentle."

As soon as he finished speaking, he kissed her again.

This time, the force was indeed much lighter.

The storm subsided and he deliberately made his movements light and slow.

He kissed her delicately, entwining their kisses delicately, taking care of every touch between her lips and teeth. However, this gentleness, like the gentle spring breeze and rain, made Zhui Lian even more flustered than the roughness just now.

The painting suddenly became very close to her, reflected in her pupils.

It turns out that those were not blurry branches.

But it is a portrait composed of lines.

The two blurry figures were huddled together, becoming increasingly entangled and inseparable.

Just like her and Pei Zhiyu at this moment, the shadow covers Pei Zhiyu and also covers her.

No one is immune.

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The author has something to say: It should! Also! Two chapters to set the stage for the grand finale (?)!