Chapter 50: Flowers in the Water "He loves you."
The air in the small room was stagnant, with only the humming of the computer fan still ringing.
The two of them sat back in their chairs. Zhui Lian looked up at Pei Zhiwei, who had her usual calm expression.
She was waiting for her to tell her what she needed to do.
"Ayu will most likely ask you to re-hold the wedding tonight."
Pei Zhiwei said calmly, "Because he needs a sufficiently eye-catching ceremony to announce your identity to everyone before he can be assured of your safety."
Zhui Lian remained silent. This was indeed what Pei Zhiyu would do.
"All you need to do is spend this time with him in a completely natural and normal way, and then..."
Pei Zhiwei pushed the USB drive toward Zhui Lian and spoke slowly, "On the wedding day, find a way to display the contents on the big screen."
Zhui Lian lowered her eyes and took a look at the small black USB flash drive, which was lying quietly within her reach.
But she didn't answer it immediately.
Because she still had many doubts in her heart.
She raised her eyes and said calmly, "I have two more questions."
Pei Zhiwei continued to smile and said, "Okay, go ahead."
Zhui Lian was silent for a long time before finally opening her mouth and asking, "First question, why did you insist on attacking him?"
"This?" Pei Zhiwei replied, "He has something I want, and—"
At this point, her tone turned cold and cruel. "Even if he's a love-struck person with no interest in family affairs, as long as he's not disgraced, those pedantic old men in the Elders' Council will still be thinking about bringing him back to take charge of the Pei family."
The struggle for power has always been about eradicating the problem completely.
Zhui Lian probably understood, so she nodded slightly, indicating that she already knew.
But after this, she remained silent for a moment before asking, "Second question, why me? You have the evidence. Wouldn't it be more direct if you handed it over?"
"There are two aspects to consider regarding this question," Pei Zhiwei said. "First, if a sister sends her brother to jail, no matter how conclusive the evidence is, it will still appear to outsiders as siblings fighting each other. It's unsightly and will affect my reputation as the head of the family in the future."
She paused, leaning back in her chair, and continued, "And you took action because you did it for Qiao Xunli, which was a sufficient reason. You stood on the moral and rational high ground, and no one could find fault with you."
I see.
Zhui Lian's hands on her legs tightened unconsciously. It turned out that she not only had to be the knife, but also the most glamorous shield.
Zhui Lian: "What's the other consideration?"
"Another consideration?"
Pei Zhiyu repeated her question with interest, and smiled faintly, the smile not reaching his eyes. "What kind of personality is Ah Yu? You have been entangled with him for so many years, don't you know it?"
My fingertips tapped on the armrests of the chair, tap, tap.
"If I were to do this, he would definitely go crazy and fight me to the death at all costs, dragging the entire Pei family down with him."
"I want power, not a funeral." She raised her hand and habitually gathered her long hair behind her, the smile on her face unchanged. "But you are different, Zhui Lian."
"I'm different?" Zhui Lian frowned slightly.
Pei Zhiwei: "Yes, if you kill him, he won't go crazy anymore, he'll just be heartbroken and lose all will to struggle. And then, during the few years he's in there, I can smoothly take over and digest everything he left behind and truly control the overall situation."
"As long as it's you, even if he knows it's hell, he'll jump in willingly."
Zhui Lian: "Why?"
The air stagnated for a moment.
Pei Zhiwei laughed, a very light laugh.
She leaned forward slightly and lightly flicked Zhui Lian's earlobe with her fingertips.
"because--"
The voice was lowered, and each word said:
"He loves you."
The black USB flash drive moved away from the sight and then moved forward.
After being blurred, it becomes clear again.
Zhui Lian felt that the world was silent, even the hum of the computer fan became empty.
She could hardly hear Pei Zhiwei's words, and could only barely maintain her
“In here…”
Zhui Lian heard her voice become a little hoarse. She pointed at the USB drive and asked, "Besides Xun Li's matter, what else is there?"
Pei Zhiwei's expression didn't change. She didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Do you know why Pei Qianhuang became disabled? And why was he so disabled that he had to be thrown into a nursing home?"
My heart sank down heavily.
She was a little dazed.
At this moment, Pei Zhiwei asked such questions in such a tone, so what other answers could there be?
It was all done by Pei Zhiyu.
The other evidence in the USB drive can only be related to this incident.
Zhui Lian murmured, as if speaking to himself: "So, you don't just have to bring him down, but also ensure that all power will fall into your hands without any accidents, at the lowest cost."
"Removing obstacles is the goal, but the method determines the outcome." Pei Zhiwei said bluntly, "I need a complete Pei family, not a mess that needs to be cleaned up. If you do it, the consequences will be minimal and the process will be most respectable."
Zhui Lian closed her eyes, then suddenly reached out and grabbed the USB drive: "Okay, I promise you."
Then she stood up as if she was running away from something and hurried to the door.
But the words kept echoing in my mind -
"He loves you."
"He loves you."
"He loves you."
…
*
The light outside was a bit dazzling and bright, but it didn't feel warm at all. It made me feel cold when it shone on my body.
After Zhui Lian left the grocery store, the first thing she did when she returned home was to pull up all the curtains on the first floor of the small western-style building.
Pei Zhiyu had not returned yet, so she curled up on the sofa. The villa was so big, and without any other voices, it seemed a little lonely and empty.
She casually clicked on a movie, but fell asleep unconsciously in the dim light.
…
Zhui Lian was awakened by a slight sound.
She opened her eyes dazedly, still holding a soft pillow tightly in her arms.
The light in the living room grew dimmer and dimmer, and the twilight, like ink dripping into water, was slowly invading every corner of the room. Only the TV screen remained stubbornly lit.
The screen flickered with light, and she looked up to find that it was playing Happy Together. In the bright lights of Buenos Aires, Ho Po-wing and Lai Yiu-fai were still tangling, and she stared at the screen with a blank look in her eyes.
She seemed to be watching a movie, or just seeing a more distant place through the layer of light and shadow.
The door of the small western-style building was opened.
Pei Zhiyu walked in.
His light grey suit jacket was casually draped over his arm, the dusk gradually set in behind him. His collar was a little loose, and a hint of fatigue stained his handsome brows.
His eyes immediately swept over Zhui Lian who was sitting on the sofa and the familiar movie on the TV screen in front of her.
He paused and stared at the screen for a moment, not knowing what he remembered. But he quickly looked away and walked silently to Zhui Lian's side and sat down.
The sofa sank slightly due to the sudden weight, and Zhui Lian's gaze finally moved away from the screen and turned to the man beside her.
But the first thing that caught my eye was a handbag.
A huge crocodile leather handbag, matte black in color, with a thick texture and a low-key gold logo embossed on the edge. The bag itself is worth a lot of money.
"For you." Pei Zhiyu's voice was gentle. "These are all gifts from the elders in the Council of Elders."
The Presbyterian Church? Those people who regarded her as a stain and wished she would disappear from this world immediately, would they give her a welcome gift?
Pei Zhiyu saw her disbelief and didn't explain much. He just lowered his head and reached into the huge gift bag to take something out.
In a flat jade box lay a set of icy green jadeite jewelry, of the finest quality. In a long box lay an antique brooch, a rare pigeon-blood ruby set in a single piece. Next to it lay a bunch of heavy brass keys, beneath which lay the property rights documents for several prosperous shops on S City's bustling commercial street...
"And this—"
Gifts were piled on the table, almost filling up the entire coffee table in front of him. Finally, Pei Zhiyu pulled out a transparent file bag and handed it to Zhui Lian like a treasure.
"Lianlian, do you like it?" He looked at Zhui Lian with a gentle smile in his eyes.
Zhui Lian couldn't help but gasp.
It was a title deed to an old villa with a separate garden located in the old concession of S City.
She knew this house, a quiet place in a bustling city, with ivy climbing all over its red brick exterior. It was the place where she had once stopped to take a few more glances when she passed by with Pei Zhiyu, who was still known as "Yu Peizhi".
Zhui Lian looked at these overly expensive gifts, and her suspicion not only did not decrease, but became even heavier.
She frowned even more deeply and looked at Pei Zhiyu with inquiring eyes.
"Were these...really given by those people from the Presbyterian Church?"
Pei Zhiyu felt a little uncomfortable when she looked at him, and emphasized again: "They really gave it to me."
"It's just..." He hummed, looking away as if a little embarrassed, "I used some special methods."
In fact, it was not a special method. He just put a knife to the other person's throat, or just pressed a gun to the other person's eyebrows... Or, at the school gate of an old guy's most beloved grandson, he "accidentally" met him with a smile, touched the child's head affectionately, and "by the way" mentioned some not-so-glorious accounts of the child's father.
There's really nothing special about it.
He just made them understand that if they didn't give gifts, the consequences might make them, or someone they cared about more, feel a little...uncomfortable.
But it’s really just a little bit.
Thinking of this, Pei Zhiyu couldn't help but curl up a faint smile on his lips, with his usual wantonness and arrogance.
But he hid it well, and quickly lowered the corners of his lips, returning to his gentle and kind appearance.
Zhui Lian, who was standing next to him, was stunned for a moment when he heard the words "special means", but then he could almost immediately imagine the scene -
It was that group of old guys who were usually sanctimonious and valued their face and family reputation more than their lives. They were gently "instructed" by Pei Zhiyu, a madman who had no bottom line. Then they were humiliated in front of him but dared not to get angry. They had to put on a smile and give generous gifts.
This is really absurd and funny.
This absurd humor dispelled the depression in my heart.
She couldn't help it, so she lowered her head, shrugged her shoulders slightly, and laughed very softly.
The laughter was very soft, but it was particularly clear in the living room where there was only movie dialogue and dim light.
Pei Zhiyu was stunned for a moment and turned to look at Zhui Lian.
The changing light and shadows on the screen passed across his slightly dazed face. It had been a long, long time since he had seen Zhui Lian smile so sincerely.
Or... he could go and blackmail something else tomorrow?
This little bit of stuff is not even enough for Lianlian to play with.
Pei Zhiyu couldn't help but start thinking about the feasibility of this matter... It seemed that there were some old guys who he hadn't had time to meet.
As if she could see what Pei Zhiyu was thinking, Zhui Lian raised her hand, patted his arm, and said, "No, that's enough, don't go anymore..." She seemed to want to laugh again, and with great difficulty suppressed the corners of her lips that wanted to rise again, "Robbery."
The atmosphere was rarely relaxed.
Pei Zhiyu looked at the faint smile on Zhui Lian's lips, and his eyes softened a little.
He looked at Zhui Lian like this for a moment, his hand unconsciously reaching into the inside pocket of his suit, and said softly: "Actually..."
A small crimson velvet box appeared in Pei Zhiyu's hand. He sat closer to Zhui Lian, just enough so that he could smell the faint fragrance of her hair.
His voice rang out, with a hint of cautious anticipation: "I have another gift for you."
Zhui Lian looked at the small object in his hand that was obviously a ring box, and her heart tightened slightly, but she just asked softly: "Hmm? What is it?"
"Lianlian, I have an unwelcome request." Pei Zhiyu sighed, his tone seeming a little unnatural, "Can I..."
The box was opened, and inside lay a simple yet dazzling diamond ring.
The huge main diamond still shone with a breathtaking brilliance in the dim light, and it was so precious that one could tell at a glance that it was priceless.
"Will you please re-hold the wedding with me?"
Here it comes.
This sentence came as Pei Zhiwei expected.
But even though she had anticipated this, Zhui Lian's mind couldn't help but go blank, and she could only let out a soft "ah".
"I'm not trying to force you, it's just..."
Pei Zhiyu quickly glanced at Zhui Lian, as if afraid she would refuse, and immediately began to explain, sounding helpless yet considerate. "Under the current circumstances, only by letting everyone in the world know that you are my wife can those people in the Elders' Council stop targeting you, and you can truly be safe."
Zhui Lianshou lowered his eyes and looked at the ring, not saying anything for a moment.
Admittedly, this was a disguised thought, because she couldn't agree too quickly, which would make Pei Zhiyu suspicious.
But this is indeed something worth thinking about.
When he was still "Yu Peizhi", he proposed to Zhuilian that they should have a grand wedding, but Zhuilian refused.
She thought Pei Zhiyu's words were probably half true and half false. Partly, he was really concerned about her safety, and partly, it was just his possessive desire to have a formal wedding with her.
Zhui Lian remained silent and did not answer immediately, as if she was struggling.
Pei Zhiyu looked at her, his gentle voice tinged with desolation: "It's okay, it's okay if Lianlian doesn't want to agree. I'll think about other ways."
Finally, Zhui Lian took a deep breath and slowly spoke: "This is too sudden... Let me think about it."
"good."
Pei Zhiyu placed the crimson velvet box on the table and said gently, "Think about it slowly."
But the moment he stood up, his tall figure cast a deeper shadow in the dim light, almost completely covering Zhui Lian who was curled up on the sofa.
The TV screen was showing Happy Together when Ho Po-wing said the classic line to Lai Yiu-fai. The deep voice echoed faintly in the empty living room:
"Why don't we start over again."
At this moment, his gaze couldn't help but linger for a moment on Zhui Lian's raised eyelashes.
But in the end, he just turned and walked towards the kitchen, his back looking a little lonely in the dim light.
He only left one sentence -
"I'll go cook first."
In the living room, the only sounds were the intermittent dialogue from the movie and the gradually but slightly forceful sound of chopping vegetables coming from the kitchen.
*
The next morning, Zhui Lian walked out of the bedroom.
She actually didn't sleep well that night, and there were some faint dark circles under her eyes.
The morning light filtered through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the restaurant, casting a light golden hue on the interior. Pei Zhiyu placed the freshly prepared breakfast on the dining table.
Simple white porridge, a few refreshing side dishes, a perfectly fried soft-boiled egg and toast.
Zhui Lian walked over to sit opposite Pei Zhiyu. As expected, the dark circles under his eyes had only gotten darker compared to hers.
She could feel that Pei Zhiyu's gaze was also locked on the area right in front of her eyes.
She suddenly found it a little funny, and felt that there was a tacit weirdness in this situation.
The decoration on the dining table was still a small white daisy pot. Zhui Lian took a look at the pot and finally spoke calmly:
"I've thought about it. I agree to the wedding."
Pei Zhiyu blinked slowly, as if he didn't realize that she would agree so readily.
Zhui Lian continued to look at him, her eyes calm: "But I have a request——"
"Stop imitating Qiao Xunli." She said softly and slowly, "Be yourself, Pei Zhiyu."
She didn't want to spend the last time with him facing... a phantom that imitated her so badly that it distorted herself.
She was willing to take one last look at... the real him.
Even though perhaps they all know that this is a flower in the water and a moon in the mirror.
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The author has something to say: After looking at the outline, I think I’ll only have two or three more chapters to write before the finale (?) [Eat melon]
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