Chapter 49, Step by Step
He Peiru thought she could keep her trip out alone with Gu Zhaoqian a secret from her family.
And now...
This reality, along with her previous thoughts, swirled in her mind, and she couldn't help but find it amusing.
Since Gu Zhaoqian was more aware of the situation than she was, she decided to ask, "Did Uncle say anything else?"
"He didn't say anything." He paused, "He just told me to remember to take you home as soon as possible."
Why would you specifically emphasize something like this?
The arrangements at the Mountain Mansion are not yet complete, so it's definitely not the right time to move in.
However, He Peiru dared not ask further questions.
Gu Zhaoqian noticed the confusion and hesitation in her expression, so he steered the conversation back to dinner: "So you need to think about what you want to eat tonight?"
He Peiru was used to having everything arranged for her, and this time she originally wanted to give him the decision-making power again, but then she thought about it and replied, "Is there any private kitchen you think is good?"
She started to have an idea and continued, "How about we have Cantonese food? We've already had Western desserts..."
Her thoughts were both interesting and seemingly confined by rules, and Gu Zhaoqian's lips involuntarily curled up once again.
At this moment, Li Haoqiang brought in a glass of black tea with ice. Gu Zhaoqian instructed, "Ask which private restaurant still has a table tonight, and reserve it for around six o'clock."
"clear."
After responding, Li Haoqiang hurriedly left Gu Zhaoqian's office again.
He knew he was meant to be a competent tool.
Even after making the arrangements, Li Haoqiang didn't go back to the office. Instead, he sent a message to Gu Zhaoqian directly on his phone.
Although as an assistant he dared not presume to know what his boss was thinking, in this situation, he couldn't possibly rashly disturb the people inside.
-
After Li Haoqiang's interruption, and also because He Peiru was thinking about her conversation with her girlfriends, she stopped paying attention to her phone.
To avoid accidentally revealing something later.
She walked to the bookshelf, pulled out a magazine, and casually flipped through it.
In the all-English magazine, you can occasionally see sticky notes with notes recording important points and related events.
He Peiru was not interested in the content itself, but rather in Gu Zhaoqian's handwriting, which reminded her of the saying that one's handwriting reflects one's character.
It turns out it really exists.
He Peiru stroked the characters on it, becoming engrossed in them without realizing it.
Gu Zhaoqian has always been outspoken and has never been seen to deliberately hide his talents.
However, it seems that she doesn't know Gu Zhaoqian well enough.
Gu Zhaoqian's voice suddenly rang in my ears: "What are you thinking about?"
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't notice when he walked over.
Fortunately, it wasn't anything embarrassing to talk about.
He Peiru looked up at him and replied, "Your handwriting is beautiful."
It is a sincere compliment.
Before she spoke, Gu Zhaoqian had assumed that the magazine's content was obscure, and he never imagined that it would be related to him.
He curled his lips into a faint smile and said, "I didn't expect to hear you praise me under these circumstances."
He Peiru bit her lip shyly, never expecting Gu Zhaoqian to react this way.
He reached out and took the magazine from He Peiru's hand, put it back in its empty seat, and said to her, "Let's go have dinner."
He Peiru then looked towards the floor-to-ceiling window.
The series of unexpected events made her lose track of time, and before she knew it, dusk had fallen.
He Peiru asked with concern, "Have all your jobs... finished?"
He nodded gently and replied, "Don't worry, it's over."
The documents piled up on her desk had indeed disappeared; Li Haoqiang had probably come in and taken them when she wasn't looking.
She was relieved and picked up her crossbody bag from the sofa, replying, "That's good."
Gu Zhaoqian's car was parked in a parking space outside the main gate of the group.
Leaving at this time coincided with the time when most employees were leaving get off work, and He Peiru felt even more stares than when she arrived.
It was as if they were scrutinizing her, or perhaps they were curious; ultimately, they wanted to know who she was and why she was by Gu Zhaoqian's side.
She didn't take any of this to heart, but followed the man out and got back into the passenger seat.
Perhaps considering the notoriously difficult traffic conditions during rush hour, Li Haoqiang booked a private restaurant near the Gu Group, thus minimizing travel time.
He Peiru watched as Gu Zhaoqian opened a door that seemed to blend into the color of the street walls, the interior decoration of which was quite out of place.
As you walk further in, you can feel the tranquility of the environment.
The hall only had three or five tables, which were basically full of people. It must be one of those private restaurants where you might not be able to get a table even if you wanted to, unless you had connections.
The receptionist clearly recognized Gu Zhaoqian. Before Gu Zhaoqian could even speak, the receptionist eagerly stepped forward to greet him: "Mr. Gu, your reserved room is ready. I will now escort you there."
The man nodded and walked slowly behind He Peiru, then whispered to her, "The dishes have been ordered. If there's anything else you'd like to eat, you can order more."
Gu Zhaoqian's every word of advice made her smile.
She was always captivated by Gu Zhaoqian's overly considerate approach.
Compared to the lobby, the furnishings in the rooms exude a sense of refinement and sophistication.
As soon as they sat down, a waiter came forward to make them tea.
He Peiru took a sip and immediately felt the lingering fragrance on her lips and teeth. It seems that this private restaurant has put a lot of effort into the selection of tea alone.
She suddenly recalled the scene when she entered, and asked as casually as possible, "Are you a regular customer here? It feels like everyone knows you."
"I guess so." Gu Zhaoqian was not impatient at all, but patiently told her, "We usually come here for gatherings, including meals with your uncle and his family."
"So that's how it is."
He Peiru nodded knowingly.
It's normal that she didn't know; she rarely participated in the Jiang family's business affairs, so she was naturally unfamiliar with these matters.
Compared to other things, having dinner with Gu Zhaoqian seemed much more relaxing for He Peiru.
Most likely, she had gotten used to it unconsciously as they spent more time together.
The waiters quickly brought the dishes that Gu Zhaoqian had ordered to the table one after another.
Seeing that the dishes being served one after another were her favorites, He Peiru immediately wondered whether it was a coincidence or something Gu Zhaoqian had done on purpose.
Then I heard him say, "I don't know if it will suit your taste, so I basically ordered the dishes you usually like."
She tried a little of every dish, and her favorite was the Typhoon Shelter Crab.
Even though the meal was a bit messy, she didn't care about the atmosphere when she was with Gu Zhaoqian.
But He Peiru couldn't help but recall certain moments with him.
In that situation, she would become extremely uncomfortable.
She knew this feeling couldn't be explained in a few words, and for now, she should try not to let Gu Zhaoqian notice that she was daydreaming.
Let's finish dinner first, and we'll talk about the rest later.
With that in mind, she ate more than she usually does at home.
The result was that I was so full that I felt the need to go for a walk to digest my food.
Whether Gu Zhaoqian noticed or not, he asked her as he got up to leave, "Would you like to take a walk around here?"
"OK."
Sometimes she really wondered if Gu Zhaoqian was a tapeworm in her stomach.
The man drove his car toward the Central Ferry Pier.
Because it was a weekday, there were quite a few empty parking spaces, and not many pedestrians nearby.
After getting off the bus, He Pei looked towards Victoria Harbour. The Ferris wheel was slowly turning in the evening breeze, and twinkling lights could be seen on the sea.
Most of them are Star Ferry buses that shuttle between Tsim Sha Tsui and Central.
When they reached the waterfront, Ho Pui-yu noticed that the Tsim Sha Tsui pier across the water was as crowded as ever.
However, despite being separated by just one sea, the level of liveliness is indeed worlds apart.
The gentle sea breeze dispelled the summer heat.
The pleasantness of the night made her relax completely, and the discomfort caused by a full stomach gradually subsided.
Gu Zhaoqian's voice broke the silence between the two: "After you go to England, you can make more friends, and later you can travel to the surrounding countries."
What she said next left He Peiru speechless: "If you need me, I can fly to the UK anytime."
Even though Gu Zhaoqian had put it that way, the thought of his busy work schedule made her feel incredibly guilty if she actually did it.
After all, she doesn't think anything is a given.
He Peiru awkwardly tried to change the subject, but fearing it would be too abrupt, she could only continue from where she left off, saying, "I really want to travel, but I don't know what the situation will be like then..."
Even though she now lives a comfortable life, she knows she can't rely on the Jiang family and Gu Zhaoqian all the time.
"Then we'll see how things go." Gu Zhaoqian's tone was calm and composed, as if any problem was easy for him to solve, but his gaze remained fixed on her the entire time.
He Peiru leaned against the railing by the sea, gazing at the scenery on the opposite shore, and said, "That's all we can do."
Then silence returned between the two.
After a while, Gu Zhaoqian spoke again: "Let's go back."
He added, "Otherwise, Uncle Jiang will have a problem with me."
He Peiru instantly understood the meaning behind those words.
One can't help but wonder how Jiang Yici would react if her relationship with Gu Zhaoqian progressed further in the future.
The eight characters were barely begun, yet she was already thinking about much more distant things as if they were set in stone.
When He Peiru returned to Repulse Bay, Jiang Yici was sitting on the sofa in the living room looking at documents.
She paused, and had no choice but to interrupt, saying, "Uncle."
"You're back?" Jiang Yici replied, seemingly not intending to let her off easily. "The Shan Mansion informed me that the appliances you bought today have been delivered."
He Peiru realized that she couldn't hide these things from Jiang Yici, and because of Gu Zhaoqian's involvement, she felt guilty and also knew she was in the wrong, so she could only mechanically reply, "The appliance store said they would send it over immediately."
Jiang Yici nodded: "Then I'll go take a look tomorrow and set up those appliances while I'm at it."
But he seemed to have not finished speaking, and He Peiru did not dare to make any other moves.
Jiang Yici pondered for a moment, then continued, "Tomorrow, you will go alone, taking Sophia with you."
...
"Okay."
He Peiru only knew that no matter what his uncle said, he would nod in agreement.
Jiang Yici's tone sounded calm and normal, but she felt that his attitude was like that of someone who had been sitting on gunpowder.
She recalled how he had asked Gu Zhaoqian to help take care of her in the past, but now...
He Peiru couldn't help but wonder what Jiang Yici really thought about her and Gu Zhaoqian's relationship.
Just then, Zheng Wanqiao's voice interrupted her thoughts: "Aru is back? It just so happens that your mother-in-law wanted to tell you that the move-in date for the Shan Mansion has been set. You can arrange who to invite that day."
"Also, just ignore us, you kids can have fun on your own."
Jiang Yici calmed down and agreed with Zheng Wanqiao's words: "Let's do as your mother-in-law says."
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