34: Why don't you ask me if I love you?
Shang Zhi was in a bad mood all day and found fault with everything. When she saw Pei Yanxiu sitting on the sofa, she vented all the anger she had been holding in on him.
"Can't you sit up straight? What kind of posture is this, slouching like this!"
"Your slippers are awful, and your new hairstyle is so weird!"
Shang Zhi felt incredibly unlucky, constantly being controlled and restricted by him, with no one in his family acting like a normal person.
Pei Yanxiu knew that she had been having a hard time lately, so he didn't hold it against her. He contacted Gu Youming privately. Wan Jia was much more experienced than Ruikang in this area, and with his personal connections, the matter was settled in no time. When he placed the agreed project cooperation agreement on Shang Zhi's desk, she was so excited that she almost jumped up.
"Uncle Pei, you really got it done! That's wonderful!"
"How did you talk to him? I just can't get through to him!"
"It's normal that you can't handle some things. Why don't you come to me for help instead of throwing tantrums at home all day? It's one thing to throw tantrums at home, but you're the one asking me for a favor and you're throwing a tantrum at me. Do you think that's appropriate?"
He was opposite her, and although she was standing while he was sitting, Shang Zhi felt that his aura was much stronger than hers the moment he spoke.
"Being unable to control your emotions is a dangerous sign, Xixi."
"I'm just in a bad mood. Since you know what's bothering me, why don't you talk to me about it? You don't care about me at all! You just treat me like a useful tool! Can't you just leave me alone and let me get some fresh air?"
Shang Zhi felt incredibly wronged. The pent-up emotions had been weighing on her for so long, and everything had exceeded her capacity to bear it. She was truly exhausted. Tears streamed down her face, but he still didn't step forward to comfort her.
"You have to learn to sort all this out yourself, Xixi."
"Whether it's doing projects or running a company, I can only help you temporarily; I can't help you forever."
“I know you’re upset, but now that you’re in this position, you have to process it yourself. Throwing a tantrum won’t help, and crying won’t solve anything.” Pei Yanxiu’s tone was calm. He could tolerate her bad temper, but she also had to learn to face the real world.
He didn't understand why she insisted on handling things that way when she could have been more tactful. Shang Zhi also didn't understand why he, who had always doted on her, was so harsh on her when she was vulnerable.
"Think it through yourself, then come and apologize to me." Pei Yanxiu looked up at her, his expression indifferent.
"You old fool, you're dreaming!" Shang Zhi was furious and felt even more aggrieved. She threw the tea on the table at his side. He couldn't dodge in time and some of it splashed onto his hands, instantly turning his fair hands red.
He took a deep breath, and Shang Zhi was stunned. He glanced at her but didn't say anything. He got up to treat his wound.
Shang Zhi felt a little regretful. She hadn't meant to hurt him. She had forgotten that the water had just been poured. She felt guilty when he left, but she refused to back down.
When Shang Zhi went home to see her mother, she casually mentioned that the project had encountered some trouble, but Pei Yanxiu had resolved it by contacting Gu Youming of the Metro Group.
"Gu Youming? Is it Gu Youming from the Resource Development Department?"
"Yes, that's him."
"It must have been really difficult to get that done; the child must have suffered a lot."
"What do you mean?" Shang Zhi was a little confused.
"Gu Youming has a grudge against the Pei family. Didn't Yanxiu tell you about this?"
"A grudge?"
"It seems that back in the early days, when Pei Qing'an was working on a project, Gu Youming kept holding him up with some kind of paperwork. As a result, Pei Qing'an reported him, which led to Gu Youming being demoted. It happened many years ago, but it caused quite a stir at the time. Although it had nothing to do with Yan Xiu, when he asked Gu Youming to do something, he would definitely have to pay the corresponding price and suffer a lot of humiliation."
"Really?" Shang Zhi was a little stunned.
"Of course, Gu Youming is a very difficult person to deal with, and his methods are very underhanded. Pei Qing'an suffered a lot at his hands back then."
Hearing what her mother said, Shang Zhi felt a mix of emotions.
"I have something to do, Mom, I need to go home."
"What's wrong with you, child? Why are you in such a hurry?"
While waiting at a red light, Shang Zhi glanced at the neon lights outside the car window and felt her heart pounding. The weather forecast on the radio predicted a torrential downpour that night, and the city was stiflingly stuffy.
She didn't bring an umbrella, and got slightly wet on her way to buy him burn ointment. She bumped into him right after she finished buying it.
He was probably there to buy medicine too.
He looked at her quietly, his lips pale, as if trying to discern her thoughts.
When Shang Zhi met his eyes, she didn't think twice and burst into tears, hugging his waist tightly and sobbing pitifully.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry today, I... I'm sorry." She couldn't say anything else.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier.
Shang Zhi felt that her mood today was similar to that of the rainy night.
"Good girl." Pei Yanxiu knew that in Shang Zhi's heart he was a creature on par with the King of Hell, but when he taught her how to do things, he felt that he was too soft-hearted. He wanted her to be stronger and more assertive, but he couldn't say it when facing her.
Contradictory and struggling.
He sometimes reflects on himself, wondering if things would be much easier for her now, and she wouldn't feel so miserable, if he had been stricter with her four years ago.
It was his fault; he failed to teach her.
He took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. As he did so, he aggravated the injury on his hand, and he couldn't help but frown.
"Does it hurt?" In the room, she stepped on the moonlight to apply medicine for him. Her face was even whiter and cleaner from the rain. He felt a little sorry for her and gently stroked her face.
"I can apply it myself. You go take a bath and don't get sick."
“It was my mistake, and I have to take responsibility for you.” Shang Zhi shook her head and refused.
"Xixi, I love you, do you know that?" When Shang Zhi heard Pei Yanxiu say this, her hand that was applying medicine to him froze in mid-air, and the tears that she had just stopped started falling again.
"I know." Her voice was like a torrential rain, stirring up a storm in his heart.
"So, you don't need to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Some things are things I feel I should do, not things I'm deliberately making things difficult for you, do you understand?"
"What if I don't do it well?"
"With me here, you won't do a bad job. If you do a bad job, it's definitely not your problem, it's my problem."
"I love you."
-
Why don't you ask me if I love you?
"I'm not sure if I'm ready to face this answer."
"I'll just assume you love me too."
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