Chapter 67: Dream: Running Towards the Sun
Pei Yuning was put on the bed by Shang Yanci, and then he knelt on one knee on the bed with his arms resting on her side.
His thin lips kissed her ears, then her cheeks, and finally he licked her lips and kissed her deeply.
Pei Yuning's ears and cheeks were tinged with a cute light red. The warm breath left by Shang Yanci and the touch of his soft thin lips were still there, difficult to erase.
The hand that was pinching her waist was sometimes light and sometimes heavy, as if flirting with her, but also as if restraining herself.
From outside the window came the sound of the night spring breeze rustling the leaves, and from inside the room came the ambiguous sound of kissing and the uneasy heartbeats of the two people.
Shang Yanci's kiss gradually moved downwards, kissing her collarbone, then moving down three fingers' width, licking her skin texture, and kissing out a bright red strawberry mark.
The mark of possession fell, and Shang Yanci returned to her lips again and kissed her.
After kissing for a long time, Shang Yanci let her go, lifted the quilt, put Pei Yuning in, and hugged her outside the quilt.
Pei Yuning: "Ayan, you will catch a cold if you don't cover yourself with a blanket."
Shang Yanci spoke in a low voice, and said slowly: "Madam, I will calm down for a moment."
Pei Yuning stopped talking, the bedroom became quiet, and gradually, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.
She really sleeps well when Shang Yanci holds her.
Shang Yanci remained calm for half an hour, but the burning sensation persisted. He had no choice but to go into the bathroom.
He came out again and lay on the bed. After his body temperature returned to normal, he reached out and held Pei Yuning in his arms.
On Thursday, Qi Yun returned from City A, knocked on Pei Yuning's office door, and after receiving a reply, he pushed the door open and walked in.
Pei Yuning: "Brother Qi Yun, please sit down."
Qi Yun nodded and sat on the armchair opposite her: "Yu Ning, the cases of drinking companionship, bullying, and sexual harassment in City A have all come to an end with solid evidence. There is no need to go to court. Once the other party sees the evidence, he will immediately obey and pay compensation. As for those cases where there is no reasonable evidence, I will pursue compensation from them in the name of the group for the damage to the group's reputation, and use part of it to compensate the victims."
Pei Yuning thought for a moment and said seriously, "If the water is too clear, there will be no fish. In the past, those senior executives sought benefits for themselves, and we just ignored it. But now that they have been dismissed, we will send people to investigate the corruption and bribery. It should be useful in the subsequent lawsuit."
Qi Yun: "Okay, I'll send someone to investigate later."
Pei Yuning nodded and said, "Brother Qi Yun, I'm sorry to bother you during this time. I'll treat you and sister-in-law to dinner another day."
Qi Yun: "This is my job. There's no need to be so polite to each other. Let's not be so distant."
Pei Yuning smiled and said, "Then let's just have a gathering among friends. You will have to worry more about the subsequent reputation issues."
"Okay." Qi Yun said, turned around and left the office.
The phone on the desktop vibrated, and Pei Yuning opened WeChat.
Grandma: [Photo ×5]
Grandma: [Ningning, the cheongsam is ready, take a look.]
The pictures include full front and back pictures and partial details.
Pei Yuning opened them one by one. It was a red cheongsam with golden osmanthus embroidered on the collar with soft gold thread and pearl buttons. It had a lily placket carved from white jade. The back of the cheongsam was embroidered with a vivid phoenix and the hem was embroidered with patterns of ten lilies.
Pei Yuning replied: [Grandma, I like it very much. I am not dissatisfied with any part of it. This cheongsam is so beautiful!]
Grandma: [As long as Ningning likes it, she can go home with Yunzhi after work on Friday night. According to custom, she should stay at home and wait for Yanci to come on Saturday to submit the proposal.]
Pei Yuning: [Got it!]
When the betrothal day comes, she will wear the red cheongsam in the picture, and Shang Yanci will be so beautiful that he will not be able to take his eyes off her.
We have to sleep in separate rooms on Friday, and I’m worried that I won’t be able to sleep.
As she was about to get off work, Pei Yuning's phone rang. She was looking at her computer and didn't pay attention to the number on her phone, so she answered it.
Jiang Minzhi: "Ningning, I'm back in Beijing. Do you have time to go out for dinner tonight?"
Pei Yuning lowered his eyes, looked at the string of numbers, and said calmly: "Our relationship is not such that we can have a peaceful meal at the same table."
Jiang Minzhi asked in a very soft voice, "Is Shang Yanci good to you?"
Pei Yuning: "Whether it's good or not is my own business."
Jiang Minzhi coughed a few times and was silent for a moment: "Ningning, I don't mean anything else, I just want to know if he treats you well. Just reply with one or two words to make Mom feel at ease, okay?"
Pei Yuning hated to hear those two words the most.
She sneered and said in a mocking tone, "Ms. Jiang, are you qualified to mention those two words? Not disturbing me is the greatest gift you can give me."
After saying this, Pei Yuning hung up the phone without waiting for a response.
After getting home from get off work, Pei Yuning lay on the sofa. The variety shows were getting more boring than the last. Everything she watched seemed ugly to her. Gradually, she fell asleep amid the boring noise of people.
Maybe it was because there had been too many things going on recently and the subconscious pressure was too great, or maybe it was because of the sudden phone call from Jiang Xinzhi.
In his dream, Pei Yuning returned to the evening he didn't want to recall.
That year, Pei Yuning had just turned four years old.
Her family has been pampering and caring towards her since she was young. Every time she is picked up from school, besides the driver, her grandparents, her second uncle, her second aunt and her father would come to pick her up.
Like other children, she has family members to pick her up. But unlike other children, her mother never goes to kindergarten to pick her up, let alone touch her little head or kiss her.
After school that day, the kindergarten assigned homework to students: drawing. The topic was "My Family".
Pei Yuning drew everyone except her mother, who was slow to start drawing.
She could feel that her mother didn't like her, and when she compared the way she was treated with the way others treated her, she knew that her mother really didn't like her.
Little Pei Yuning didn't understand, everyone liked her, why didn't her mother like her?
But the kindergarten teacher said that mothers love their children the most in the world. Pei Yuning believed the teacher's words, so she thought her mother liked her.
Just like a little boy in the class, he never talks to himself, but he gives himself snacks. When the teacher asked everyone to write which child they like most in the class, he wrote her name, so giving snacks is also a way to express love.
Her mother gave her grapes, so she must like her.
Pei Yuning then happily drew her mother on the picture and opened her door: "Mom, I drew a picture of our family."
The setting sun in the evening shines into the bedroom, and the light and shadow are cut into two halves by the windowsill, one bright and one dark.
Mother's face was very pale. Pei Yuning was a little afraid to get close to her. She stood in the golden light of the sunset and turned the family photo towards her mother who was sitting in the dark corner.
My mother didn't know what was wrong with her. She started to tremble, then walked towards her, tore up the painting in her hand, and then pinched her neck with both hands, muttering resentfully: "Why did I give birth to you? You shouldn't have come to this world. Why were you born in my belly?"
Little Pei Yuning forgot to be afraid, forgot to cry, and forgot to breathe.
Until my brother showed up and pushed my mother away.
The brother held her in his arms, soothed her breathing, and coaxed her in a trembling voice: "Ningning, be good, brother, brother is coming, breathe slowly, breathe slowly, don't be afraid, brother is here, brother is holding Ningning, brother will always be with Ningning."
When Pei Yuning felt that she was having difficulty breathing and was about to suffocate, a pair of broad hands gently wiped away the tears from her face.
She tried hard to grasp the warmth, and finally escaped from the dark and damp swamp, stepped onto the vibrant green grass, and ran towards the hot and bright sun.
Pei Yuning opened his eyes and found his younger self in Shang Yanci's worried gaze.