Chapter 21: Doing Business Face to Face, Sitting astride his lap.
"Huh?" Zhui Lian exclaimed in surprise, "Did you call me?"
She took out her cell phone to check it, and to make it look more realistic, she didn't even delete the missed call.
"I'm on mute."
Zhui Lian showed Yu Peizhi the missed call display and said, "That's why I didn't answer it."
These words somehow irritated Yu Peizhi's sensitive nerves.
Her waist was tightened at that moment, and Yu Peizhi easily lifted her up and sat her on his legs.
She sat astride his legs, facing each other.
In the narrow back seat, the two people's breathing almost intertwined.
This tight and oppressive posture made Zhui Lian feel extremely ashamed, and her cheeks instantly burned.
Fu Dongli's eyes met hers in the rearview mirror for a moment, then looked away.
He focused on the road ahead, as if the night had suddenly become infinitely attractive.
Zhui Lian took a breath, trying to make her voice sound steady, even with a hint of grievance from being hurt: "Hubby, can you let me go?
"I really just accidentally missed the call. I didn't mean to ignore you."
"Besides, Mr. Fu is still here. This... is really inconvenient."
She even tried to raise her hand and gently patted Yu Peizhi's tense arm, as if she was soothing an anxious trapped beast.
Yu Peizhi stared at her, staring at her motionlessly again.
The wind whipped across the windshield, briefly clearing away a layer of nighttime fog.
The dark mist in Yu Peizhi's eyes seemed to be slightly dispelled by her rare show of weakness.
He seemed to be judging the truthfulness of her words, and also seemed to be enjoying the fact that she was forced to rely completely on him at this moment.
"...Okay." A short laugh rolled out of Yu Peizhi's throat.
Like a laugh, and also like a snort.
But after a few seconds, the force actually loosened.
Zhui Lian didn't dare show the slightest bit of anxiety. She slowly climbed down from his legs and moved to the seat closest to the window.
Yu Peizhi didn't reach out to pull her again, but his eyes were still fixed on her.
He stuck to her, watching her trembling fingertips straighten the collar of her pastel-colored sweater that had just been messed up.
He stuck to her, watching her slender white fingers move down little by little to fasten the buttons of her mist blue coat that had just been undone.
He stuck to her, watching her bite the hair tie with the daisy pattern, and put her hands around her neck to tie up her long chestnut curly hair.
He recalled some scenes from a long, long time ago.
At that time, her hair-tying skills were even more clumsy than they are now.
Then, Yu Peizhi saw Zhui Lian turn her head again, and suddenly called him very gently: "Husband."
"I'm hungry." She said softly, with a hint of tired dependence, "But I'm a little tired. Can you buy me some food at the next service area later?"
Yu Peizhi looked at her for a long time.
The dark color surging in his eyes was slowly covered by a more complex emotion, a mixture of satisfaction and lingering doubts.
But he finally nodded and replied, "Okay."
The conciliatory policy may have had some effect.
Zhui Lian realized.
But that's not enough.
It is far from being close to the truth.
The car suddenly fell into a brief silence.
Only the newly played music is still playing.
It was an ethereal and cold female voice.
Repeating the chorus's climax:
Chasing your silhouette in the waves
Trapped in this eternal blue night
Nowhere to escape, no sound to cry for help
Only you and I, dancing in the abyss
Come back, come back
My family lost in the deep sea
Breathing is the bait, longing is the net
This life is difficult to cross, you and I are on our way home]
The singing gradually faded away in the ethereal chanting, like bubbles sinking into the deep sea.
Zhui Lian glanced at the car screen and saw the name of the song, "Reflections in the Water".
And behind the song title, there is a line of source——
Theme song from the movie "Subnautica".
＊
The vehicle entered a service area again.
Yu Peizhi got off the car as he was told and went to buy food.
Before leaving, he leaned over and looked at Zhui Lian through the car window, his tone gentle but unquestionable: "Baby, I'll be back soon, just stay in the car, okay?"
The car window rolled up, blocking out his departing figure.
The thin figure gradually disappeared from sight.
For a moment, only Fu Dongli and Zhui Lian were left in the car.
Zhui Lian took a deep breath, leaned forward slightly, and looked at the calm figure in the driver's seat.
"Mr. Fu."
Her voice was very natural, and her tone was as if she had nothing to do and wanted to chat. "It's quite a coincidence. We were all in S City before, but I don't think I've ever heard Pei Zhi mention you and Sister Zhiwei."
Fu Dongli's gaze was still fixed on the street lamp not far away, where light and dust were floating together.
He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel and answered casually: "We don't usually contact Pei Zhi very often, so it's normal that he hasn't mentioned it to you."
"Then...how did you meet?"
Zhui Lian questioned, trying to sound merely curious.
Fu Dongli glanced at her in the rearview mirror.
His eyes were cold and his words were just bland: "Nothing special, just some business dealings, we've met a few times."
"Business dealings?"
Zhui Lian repeated doubtfully, "Isn't Pei Zhi a painter?"
"He did some business before he met you." Fu Dongli paused and answered.
"What business?"
Fu Dongli brushed it off even more casually: "It's just some ordinary investments."
These words all make sense, but when put together, they feel a little indescribably strange.
But judging from Fu Dongli's attitude, it's probably impossible to pry anything out of him.
Zhui Lian's heart sank. She was silent for a moment, then changed her strategy and forced a shy smile on her face: "Come to think of it, Sister Zhiwei is getting married, and I haven't congratulated her properly yet."
"Mr. Fu, is it convenient for you to add me on WeChat? Then, courtesy will be..."
Fu Dongli interrupted her almost immediately.
His tone was distantly polite, but it sounded like an excuse: "Sorry, that's probably not appropriate."
"For things like this, I have to ask Zhiwei first." He paused and added, "She doesn't like me adding other people privately."
That’s just what she wants!
"Ah? Is that so..."
Zhui Lian seemed to be at a loss for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and said, "Then could you please give me Sister Zhiwei's WeChat? I can contact her directly to congratulate her."
"This... is fine." Fu Dongli hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed and turned around to get his cell phone.
At this moment, a voice sounded quietly next to Zhui Lian's ear.
Her shoulders sank, as if something was pressing down on her.
In the car's interior mirror, two heads were side by side.
Cheek to cheek.
Eye to eye.
Zhui Lian was so frightened that she almost jumped out of her seat.
The car door had opened silently at some point, and the cold night wind brought an extremely gentle voice. The head in the mirror grinned.
"Baby, you want Sister Zhiwei's contact information, why don't you ask me?"
It’s Yu Peizhi’s head.
It was pressing on her shoulders.
He had returned without her knowing, and was sitting next to her, still holding a bag of food.
He had an impeccable smile on his face, but his eyes were unfathomable.
"Pei Zhi, the call was so urgent that day that I forgot."
Zhui Lian also spoke gently, repeating the excuse, "I was just chatting with Mr. Fu, and suddenly I thought of etiquette.
She paused and added softly, "After all, Sister Zhiwei used to take good care of me."
This sentence is true.
But it is hard to say whether Pei Zhiwei's care for her in the past brought her blessing or curse.
"Baby, you don't have to worry about such trivial matters."
The weight on Zhui Lian's shoulders finally disappeared.
Yu Peizhi reached out and closed the car door.
He handed the snack to her and said in a doting tone, "I'll prepare the gift money and make sure it's decent enough."
Zhui Lian took the snack and saw Yu Peizhi randomly took out his mobile phone.
He slid his fingertips across the screen a few times, then raised it and showed her a WeChat business card interface.
The profile picture is a not very clear partial photo of a work of art, and the nickname is just a simple English name "V."
"Here, this is Sister Zhiwei's WeChat."
Yu Peizhi smiled and pushed the phone screen towards Zhui Lian again, "Baby, do you want to add me? I'll push it to you now."
His attitude was too calm, and there was even a hint of encouragement in his eyes.
Zhui Lian looked at the WeChat message that didn't show much information, then looked at Yu Peizhi's smiling face, and for a moment she felt a little uncertain.
A strange intuition gripped her.
She shook her head and said, "No, I'll add it when I have the chance. It's so late, Sister Zhiwei should be asleep."
"Okay." Yu Peizhi put away his phone obediently, as if he had just completed a trivial episode.
He took out a peach blossom cake from the bag, carefully unwrapped it, and then handed it to Zhui Lian's mouth, his fingertips touching her lips: "Try it, baby, is it the flavor you like?"
Zhui Lian took a small bite of his fingertips and obediently opened her mouth.
The freshly baked peach blossom pastry has an enticing aroma, and the filling is sweet to the perfect degree.
But when she put it in her mouth, she felt an indescribable greasy feeling.
"I like it." She raised her eyes and smiled at Yu Peizhi.
"As long as the baby likes it."
In the scene reflected in the car window, Zhui Lian seemed to see Yu Peizhi's other free hand quickly tapping twice on the phone screen.
It seems like a message was sent, but the content is unclear.
Zhui Lian leaned forward and moved closer, looking as if he just wanted to take the peach blossom pastry from the other person.
She wanted to quickly glance at the other person's phone screen, but Yu Peizhi was faster.
The phone screen went out in an instant.
Put it back in your pocket.
He raised his hand and gently wiped the remnants of peach blossom pastry from her lips with his fingers: "Hubby will wipe it for you."
"Thank you, husband."
Zhui Lian looked at him, blinked suddenly, and asked, "Pei Zhi, Dong Li said you did some business before. What kind of business was it?"
"What business?" Yu Peizhi put down his phone and looked at her, "Hmm..."
He said, "It's nothing special. The medical beauty industry has been booming in the past few years, so I invested a little bit."
Medical beauty industry?
For some reason, the name of the hospital on the ligation surgery certificate flashed quickly in her mind - "Friendship Hospital".
It seems to be a private hospital. I wonder if it also provides medical beauty services.
Zhui Lian didn't stop and continued to ask, "What kind of shops are there? I also went to high school in S City, maybe I've heard of them."
Yu Peizhi hummed and leaned back slightly, as if thinking about something.
Then he said, "At that time, I was only responsible for paying some money, and it was mainly Sister Zhiwei who coordinated these projects."
This answer is normal.
But Zhui Lian always felt that something flashed by and she didn't catch it.
"Baby, if you are really curious, I will go and ask Sister Zhiwei for you now?" Yu Peizhi said gently.
"But Lianlian doesn't seem to trust me very much. She always thinks I will lie to you."
Yu Peizhi seemed a little distressed, and then said, "So I'll send you Sister Zhiwei's WeChat, and Lianlian can ask her herself."
In the hall of the Pei family in S City, Pei Zhiwei, who had just returned home, casually threw her limited edition handbag on the sofa.
She leaned lazily against the back of the leather sofa, took the warm water handed to her by the servant and took a sip.
I immediately opened my phone and saw a WeChat message pop up from a contact marked as "sick":
[Please send me a copy of your original WeChat profile picture.]
Pei Zhiwei's delicate eyebrows raised slightly.
Her fingertips hovered for a moment over the lit screen.
“V.” This WeChat ID…she hasn’t used it for a long time.
What did Yu Peizhi suddenly want the original picture for?
After a moment, she replied with a simple: [? ]
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The author has something to say: [burst into tears] I’m so sorry for all the hard work these past few days, please remember to reread the previous chapter! I’ve added some plot points qwq
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