Chapter 24 "What did you see?... "

Lin Chaoyue had learned from her previous mistakes.

In situations like this, it's crucial to take the initiative to admit your mistakes.

She was in the wrong, so she slid down to her knees and apologized.

If all goes well, maybe in another half hour, she'll be able to lie on her own big bed and fall into a good sleep.

Lin Chaoyue: "I was wrong."

Pei Shuwen: "What did you see tonight?"

"I shouldn't have silenced my phone and not answered your calls while I was playing games..."

After Lin Chaoyue finished speaking in one breath, she belatedly realized that Pei Shuwen hadn't asked that: "Huh? What?"

She had only turned half her body to face Pei Shuwen.

Upon hearing Pei Shuwen's question, he turned around completely.

Lin Chaoyue didn't quite understand: "What do you mean?"

Pei Shuwen: "The literal meaning."

Ask her what she saw tonight?

She's seen so much that she could easily make up a 'Lin Chaoyue's Adventures' story.

But she still said hesitantly, "Could you give me a hint? Otherwise, I don't know where to begin."

Pei Shuwen said without any emotion, "Second floor of the banquet hall, private restrooms in the private area."

"Oh, you asked about that... Do we really have to talk about it now? It's getting late, why don't you go back and rest first, and we can talk about it tomorrow?"

"no."

Pei Shuwen refused decisively.

Lin Chaoyue hesitated.

She said that it was so late, and Pei Shuwen wasn't going home to rest, nor was he letting her leave; it couldn't be anything good.

And the first question they asked was so explosive.

To tell or not to tell?

It will be almost dawn in two hours.

In a car with a man and a woman alone, should I really let her sit here and talk about the live sex show she saw tonight?

Even if she wanted to say it, Pei Shuwen probably wouldn't want to hear it...

Lin Chaoyue hesitated, then met Pei Shuwen's gaze again.

Pei Shuwen didn't know what was wrong with her; after the banquet ended, she maintained this cold expression.

Her heart trembled at the sight, and in the end, she silently held on for one more second before decisively confessing.

"I thought you were drunk, so I went to the restroom to look for you and accidentally bumped into Pei Bai, the male lead in that recently popular drama."

"What did you see?" Pei Shuwen asked again.

Lin Chaoyue pursed her lips twice, thinking for a long time but unable to say anything.

It wasn't that she was at a loss for words; it was just that the words she could think of were rather straightforward and not very elegant, and she was afraid of offending Pei Shuwen's ears.

Lin Chaoyue: "I didn't see anything..."

Pei Shuwen: "Yes, just say that if anyone asks."

"Huh? What do you mean? You already know... about Pei Bai and that director?"

Lin Chaoyue didn't mention anything more, but her awkward expression and her ears turning red instantly said it all.

Pei Shuwen: "The banquet organizers pulled up the surveillance footage and saw you following Pei Bai into the private restroom on the second floor. Pei Bai's agency wants to pursue legal action against you and label you as a stalker or a voyeur."

"???"

"Me? A sasaeng fan? A voyeur? Are you kidding me?"

Lin Chaoyue was so anxious that she slapped the back of the seat.

"Are they alright? They were openly having an affair, making love in the wild, sweeping everything off the table. I was startled by the noise and went in, accidentally seeing them naked. I didn't want to see a live sex show, okay? And it was two grown men!"

Previously, the entire internet was marketing Pei Bai's wealthy family background, claiming that he didn't date because he already had a family marriage arranged for him, and that he was just waiting to go home, inherit the family fortune, and marry a rich and beautiful woman from high society when he couldn't make it in the entertainment industry.

Little did she know that he had risen to his position through underhanded means.

I was also forced to drink alcohol and then dragged into the bathroom for all sorts of things.

Lin Chaoyue wasn't satisfied with her cursing and said angrily, "I've had a really bad night. First, your rival caused me trouble, and then this happened."

"How can they all be so shameless! They're still outside, will they die if they hold it in for a little while? They have absolutely no sense of male virtue! I spit on them!"

"Chu Chengjie?" Pei Shuwen's face finally showed some emotion.

"Yes, it was him. He said a bunch of nonsensical things, sounding both ordinary and confident, and even asked me how much I could pay for a night with him."

"What bad luck."

"What bad luck!"

If she hadn't accidentally missed Pei Shuwen's call tonight and felt somewhat guilty, she would definitely have demanded a higher price!

Five thousand is no longer enough to heal the wounds in her heart.

Pay more!

You have to pay more!

Lin Chaoyue was still complaining in a low voice when Pei Shuwen got out of the car, walked around, and opened the front door.

"Get down." Pei Shuwen stood there upright, his demeanor unchanged despite working continuously and socializing all night.

Lin Chaoyue got out of the car and closed the door behind her.

"Turn around."

"What are you going to do?" Despite asking the question, Lin Chaoyue's actions were still quite cooperative.

Pei Shuwen wasn't very interested, but seeing her calm and focused gaze, he asked, "Are you injured anywhere?"

"You're not injured."

"Then what is this?"

He didn't touch her, but pointed precisely to the back of her hand. The injury wasn't very noticeable, but compared to the fair skin of other areas, that spot was indeed somewhat broken and swollen.

"Ah, this." Lin Chaoyue almost forgot.

"It was an accident. Chu Chengjie didn't touch me. There were so many people at the banquet. If he had really touched me, I would have called for help."

"Okay, let's go upstairs and I'll apply the medicine there."

Lin Chaoyue wanted to say that it wouldn't be necessary, but Pei Shuwen still didn't give her a chance to refuse and went straight into the stairwell.

Why not take the elevator instead of climbing the stairs?

She felt that Pei Shuwen was acting strangely tonight, especially after the banquet. He seemed normal, but his mood was low, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.

Is he really drunk?

But of all the drunkards she had met in the previous twenty-odd years, none were as well-mannered as Pei Shuwen.

After locking the car, Lin Chaoyue ran after him in a few steps.

"Wait for me, don't walk so fast."

"Can I ask you a question?" Afraid that Pei Shuwen would say no, Lin Chaoyue immediately asked, "Is Pei Bai really being kept by a sugar daddy? Is it that screenwriter from Lu's Entertainment?"

"yes."

The two walked one after the other in the empty stairwell.

The not-so-loud footsteps were mixed with gossip that would be explosive enough to shock the entire entertainment industry.

Lin Chaoyue said "Oh": "Pei Bai is a big star in the entertainment industry. Is being a screenwriter that lucrative? It must be quite expensive to hire him, right? Do you know how much it costs?"

Pei Shuwen suddenly stopped going upstairs and turned around to look directly at her.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I was just asking casually."

Lin Chaoyue said weakly, "Even if I'm poor, I wouldn't stoop to the level of a sex worker. I still have my principles."

This time, Pei Shuwen's expression was somewhat complicated, but she didn't say much. She continued walking upwards.

Lin Chaoyue, on the other hand, was slow to realize it.

She leaped two steps at a time to catch up: "Wait. Pei Shuwen, you don't think I'm trying to keep someone as a mistress, do you? Those are just rumors, not true. I was scammed out of money by accident, and I've never kept any men as mistresses."

"Well, you don't have the money right now."

"I don't want to!"

"Okay, we're here. Go up and open the door. The password is six zeros."

Lin Chaoyue was so focused on talking as she walked upstairs that she didn't even notice Pei Shuwen's house when she reached the door.

She placed her hand on the combination lock and entered three zeros.

But before she could even lose the last three, Lin Chaoyue sensed something was wrong.

She was led by the nose by Pei Shuwen all night long.

She did whatever he said.

The fieldwork is all over, it's time to get off work now!

Lin Chaoyue's drowsiness subsided, and she instantly perked up.

"I can open the door, but it's not fair that you're always the one asking me questions. I also want to ask you a few questions."

Having probably not heard the word 'fairness' in a long time, Pei Shuwen, who was leaning against the side waiting for her to open the door, glanced at her twice.

Lin Chaoyue thought he disagreed and even tried to block the door lock with her hand.

Da You: If you don't let me ask, I won't open the door.

Pei Shuwen still had his suit jacket draped over his hand, but he didn't care. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, and closed his eyes wearily.

"Go ahead and ask."

Lin Chaoyue: "Why didn't you answer my calls last night?"

"We're discussing work."

Lin Chaoyue: "Did you close the deal?"

"The deal is done."

Lin Chaoyue: "Are you angry with me? I didn't answer your call in time."

Pei Shuwen: "I'm not angry."

That's not right.

Lin Chaoyue then asked, "Then why are you always unhappy?"

Pei Shuwen suddenly opened his eyes to look at her. Although the corners of his eyes were red with fatigue, his gaze was still very penetrating.

"Fine, if you don't want to talk about it, then don't..."

"Because they took a shortcut."

--

Lin Chaoyue felt that she really couldn't figure out Pei Shuwen's thoughts.

Are there really people in this world who don't like taking shortcuts?

With a smooth road laid out before her, she would never choose another path.

She is a perfect example of a lazy bum who just gives up and does nothing.

I'd rather lie down than stand up.

Lin Chaoyue absentmindedly rummaged through the medicine box.

Her eyes kept glancing at her wrist; compared to during the day, she now had an aquamarine bracelet there, which Pei Shuwen had just given her.

He said it was his payment for tonight.

Although she wasn't obsessed with jewelry, she was discerning enough to know that this bracelet was worth far more than five thousand yuan.

If I give you this, will I get paid back?

"Bring the first-aid kit over here."

"It's okay, I can manage on my own. Why don't you get some rest? I'll go downstairs after I apply the medicine."

That's the advantage of living close by.

When the driver took his boss home, he also gave himself a ride home along the way.

"Bring it here."

"oh."

It's rare for a boss to have a conscience and know how to care for his subordinates, so Lin Chaoyue couldn't refuse.

The main thing... she really wanted to ask if she could sell the bracelet for pocket money if they didn't pay her.

"Sit here."

Pei Shuwen made room for her, and Lin Chaoyue sat down, extending her scraped hand.

Lin Chaoyue: "Actually, it's nothing serious. I just accidentally scraped my skin. If I don't get it treated soon, it'll probably be almost healed... Ouch, be gentle, it hurts..."

"It's almost healed, what's the pain?"

"I was just joking, why are you taking it so seriously, you're a grown man."

"Okay, I'll be gentle."

Lin Chaoyue wanted to pull her hand back, but Pei Shuwen told her to be gentle, so she really didn't use any more force.

His movements as he bent down to apply the medicine to her were so focused.

Lin Chaoyue felt the temperature that didn't belong to her, and looked at the perfect curve of each joint on his finger bones, and was momentarily lost in thought.

"What are you thinking about? Choose one."

Lin Chaoyue: "Oh, I want the transparent one."

The transparent bandages were on top of the first-aid kit, but Pei Shuwen took a pinkish-white bandage from the side.

Pei Shuwen only realized she had taken the wrong one after she had already torn open the individual packaging.

He set the torn-up piece aside and wanted to get a new one.

Lin Chaoyue tugged at his sleeve: "Let's use this. Don't waste it. I read online that if you want to save money, you need to increase income and reduce expenditure."

She deliberately emphasized the word 'open source', trying to hint at it to Pei Shuwen.

But Pei Shuwen didn't react.

After putting a band-aid on her, I told her to leave: "It's all taken care of, you can go home now."

No, please.

She hasn't received her wages for tonight.

"I... I'm not actually in a hurry to leave."

Pei Shuwen frowned, his shirt rolled up at the wrist, and the top button of his shirt collar undone. He leaned back on the sofa, looking at her quietly and directly.

His expression clearly said: "Are you leaving on your own, or am I going to kick you out?"

The atmosphere in the air became very quiet for a moment.

The silence amplified Lin Chaoyue's five senses, and she keenly detected the smell of alcohol in the air.

Lin Chaoyue finally found a suitable topic to stay and refused to leave.

"How much did you drink at your party tonight? Are you drunk?"

"Two bottles of red wine and one bottle of white wine, I'm not drunk."

"Are you serious?" Lin Chaoyue thought Pei Shuwen was joking. Whether it's baijiu or red wine, how can it be measured in 'bottles'?

But his "hmm" didn't sound like a joke at all.

Lin Chaoyue realized she knew why Pei Shuwen was acting strangely tonight.

If anyone else drank like that, they wouldn't even need to go home; she'd probably have to call an ambulance halfway there to take them away.

She didn't want to leave just now, but now she's afraid to leave.

"Are you sure you're not drunk? You're all red. Do you have any hangover medicine at home? Or should I take you to the hospital?"

Lin Chaoyue bent down and touched his forehead with the back of her hand, then touched her own; it was a little hot.

She rummaged through the first-aid kit but found neither fever-reducing patches nor hangover remedies.

"Are you still able to walk? I'll drive you to the hospital."

"We can't leave."

"But you were able to climb the stairs just now, weren't you? We can take the elevator down."

"It's not possible now."

Lin Chaoyue: "..."

Really? She was skeptical.

Pei Shuwen: "This is what a drunk person is like."

Lin Chaoyue's face darkened: "But you just said you weren't drunk."

"He's drunk now."

Pei Shuwen had just been exchanging words with her, but after that, he closed his eyes to rest again.

Lin Chaoyue pursed her lips, unsure whether to stay or leave, so she compromised and said, "I just saw some fruit in your fridge, how about I make you a hangover soup?"

"good. "

Three o'clock in the morning.

Lin Chaoyue borrowed Pei Shuwen's kitchen and started cooking.

Lin Chaoyue stared blankly at the boiling water in the enamel pot.

With Pei Shuwen in such a semi-conscious state, how was she going to bring up the matter of tonight's payment?

Would it be too blunt to ask for money directly?

But if she doesn't get straight to the point, she always seems to miss the mark, and Pei Shuwen steers her off course after just a few sentences.

"Sigh..." Life is tough, Yuebao sighed.

Carefully carrying the hangover soup in her hands, Lin Chaoyue decided to order it directly later.

"Pei Shuwen, my payment for tonight..."

"Is she... asleep?"

Pei Shuwen was curled up on the sofa. His phone and documents, which had been on the sofa, were thrown onto the carpet. One of his hands was hanging off the sofa, only a short distance from the coffee table.

Lin Chaoyue put down the hangover soup and pushed it further inside.

Pei Shuwen is tall and has long arms and legs; when he's asleep, he might accidentally knock over the bowl and spill it.

After doing all that, Lin Chaoyue still felt like something was missing. She thought for a moment and then went to Pei Shuwen's bedroom to get a blanket.

"I've been busy all day, doing so much work, and I haven't received a single penny. I must have owed you something in my past life."

"I stood you up for half an hour today, but I made you some hangover soup, so we're even."

"I really need to go back and catch up on my sleep. You should get some sleep too; you'll be sober by tomorrow."

Despite saying that, she draped the blanket over him.

Lin Chaoyue finally knelt on the carpet and checked his breath with her finger.

His warm, even breath touched her fingertips. Because they were so close, Lin Chaoyue could smell not only the alcohol but also his clean, crisp aura.

Pei Shuwen's lips are very thin, and whether she is asleep or awake, the curve of her lips at the corners always carries a coolness.

It contrasted somewhat with his peaceful sleeping expression.

By some strange twist of fate...

Lin Chaoyue's fingers, which had been resting on his nose, moved down and lightly brushed against Pei Shuwen's lips.

As expected, it was cool, but the entire pad of her index finger was warm, connected to the throbbing pulse under her wrist bone, clearly transmitting the drum-like sound back to her heart.

What is she doing?

This is insane...

He withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Lin Chaoyue went from half-kneeling to kneeling.

Thankfully, Pei Shuwen was asleep; thankfully, he was drunk…

She tried to reassure herself with "it's okay" several times, but her fingertips were still trembling slightly, overwhelmed by a guilty conscience. She swallowed hard, then braced herself against the floor, trying to stand up.

After that, she made almost all her movements as softly as possible.

I just hope Pei Shuwen can sleep peacefully and never wake up.

Just as she was about to stand up and make her escape.

But then she heard Pei Shuwen's deep, husky voice: "What are you doing?"

"You...you're awake?"