55: Chapter 55: The Watch 55: Chapter 55: The Watch Peiqiong’s reputation was finally tarnished, which gave her a taste of what Yang PeiMin had experienced when she was subjected to public scrutiny.
Under such pressured circumstances, Xu Min acknowledged her, but he surely felt aggrieved.
However, Peiqiong wasn’t one to back down easily, and the matter was far from over.
The family shared their thoughts and soon arrived home.
Zhang Minghua looked at Shen Yiguang with increasing satisfaction.
“Yiguang, have dinner at home tonight.
Your sister-in-law has probably already prepared the meal.”
Shen Yiguang smiled apologetically, “Auntie, I won’t be staying for dinner.
My family is waiting for me back home, and my sisters have returned, too.
I went to a comrade’s house this morning and couldn’t have a meal with them.”
Zhang Minghua smiled, “That’s understandable.
It seems I will be waiting for your family to come over tomorrow.”
Shen Yiguang responded with a smile, “I would like to have a word with Minmin.”
“Go ahead.” Zhang Minghua instructed him to speak with Yang PeiMin in the main house and asked everyone else to leave, truly an understanding mother-in-law.
Yang PeiMin brought him a glass of water just as she noticed Shen Yiguang alone, slightly puzzled.
“Why has Brother Shen come over?” Yang PeiMin asked, finding it rather coincidental that Yang Peiqiong failed in her attempt to malign her and it even turned into an inadvertent persuasion on his part, sparing her some effort.
Shen Yiguang took her water and smiled at her, “Today, I went to a comrade’s house and brought back three fish, one of which I brought for you to try.
When I arrived, you weren’t around, and Da Niu told me you’d gone to the grain field.”
“What did you want to see me for?” she asked involuntarily.
Shen Yiguang shook his head with a smile and pulled out a velvet box from his pocket, opening it in front of her.
Inside lay a wristwatch—a Swiss-imported Tudor watch!
“Learning about Minmin’s sincere thoughts, I felt quite ashamed.
I got this watch by exchanging some special liquor with my comrade, and it seemed suitable for you.
Try it on and see if you like it,” he suggested, readying himself to help her put it on.
Yang PeiMin’s hand didn’t move as she looked at him, puzzled, “What sincere thoughts?
I don’t understand what you’re talking about?”
Shen Yiguang couldn’t help but laugh again, his eyes softening with warmth, “I know about the letter you wrote to my sister.
Thank you for your acknowledgment, it made me happy.”
Yang PeiMin was completely stunned.
By her reckoning, the letter should never have reached Shen Yiguang.
Could she have misjudged Shen Yixiang’s discontent towards her and her own assumption that Yixiang deeply disliked her?
Shen Yiguang, noticing her expression, smiled again to comfort her, “These days, marriage is about autonomy and free love.
A girl expressing her thoughts boldly is truly commendable.”
Yang PeiMin felt like cursing.
Seeing Yang PeiMin near her breaking point, Shen Yiguang stopped teasing her, “Minmin, tomorrow we will come to ask for your hand in marriage.
Would you consider me?
Perhaps we haven’t known each other long enough for you to fully understand me, but I hope you can see my sincerity and give us a chance to be together.”
Yang PeiMin looked up, meeting his earnest gaze.
For some reason, she felt a bit guilty and turned her face away, asking quietly, “You know about the letter?”
How could he not know?
That clever little girl managed to fool even his astute sisters, who hadn’t realized she didn’t really want to marry him.
That afternoon, after he had expressed his intentions to his family, he seized a moment while everyone was out helping with cooking to bring Shen Yixiang into his room and wrested the letter from her hands, offering a sweet reward in return—and she confessed everything.
Shen Yiguang stared at one side of Yang PeiMin’s cheek, how could he bear to let go of such an adorable girl?
His eyes twinkled with teasing, yet his tone was helpless, “Yeah, you don’t know how it was when I got home this afternoon; the whole family ganged up on me, bombarding me with persuasion.”
“Where did such a daring girl come from, nearly messing things up…
It’s good that I kept this letter with me, how else would you deal with them in the future?”
Yang PeiMin’s face turned red at a visibly rapid pace.
“Then, give it back,” she reached out her hand.
“I’ll keep it here for now, not sure if I’ll need it tomorrow?”
Yang PeiMin glared—this cunning man!
Shen Yiguang, his eyes smiling, once again picked up the watch to put it on her left wrist.
“See, it suits you very well,” Shen Yiguang lifted her hand, his eyes filled with admiration.
The ladies’ watch with a rose gold case, white dial, and brown strap looked very elegant and delicately beautiful on her snow-white wrist.
Yang PeiMin also lowered her head to take a look, feeling rather pleased with it.
In her previous life, she had worn watches only a few times during elementary and middle school, to check when the class would end or to tell the time for her classmates—it had felt quite prestigious when classmates asked her the time during a lesson.
She had gone through several designs, cartoon, leather, fold-over clasp, showing off in front of her friends, gaining quite a lot of face.
It was only later, when she was promoted to a key high school and her family was organizing a small celebration for her, that her father was absent, sending her a Patek Philippe as a mere gesture, which she angrily threw into a corner, and after that, she never wore a watch again.
Did he think that sending an expensive designer watch would appease her?
Her father hadn’t visited her in over half a year by then, although she said she didn’t mind, deep down, she was still hoping.
That man, full of broken promises, she disdained to wear his watch.
Somehow, she suddenly thought of that man.
He always said she was his most beloved little treasure, coaxing her to live with him, yet only visiting once every two or three months.
Sometimes when she was filled with resentment, she thought, even if he came to visit, she wouldn’t see him.
She would let him never see his little treasure again.
But when she heard news of his arrival, she couldn’t help but go over, only to put on a stern face, cold and distant, and that man would do everything to coax her, making exaggerated faces with his age-wearied features, “Oh darling, what’s wrong with your little face?
Do you want to turn into a cold beauty?
Should daddy change as well?”
Yang PeiMin quickly turned her face away, wiping her eyes with her hand.
She certainly didn’t miss him.
Shen Yiguang felt a tightness in his heart and leaned over to ask softly, “Did sand get in your eyes?”
Yang PeiMin secretly rolled her eyes at him.
Her tone was harsh as she issued an eviction order, “It’s getting late, you should go back.
I’m going to wash my face and won’t keep you company.”
Shen Yiguang, still worried, glanced at her, “Alright, go to bed early tonight, remember to take your MiY essence, I’ll come again tomorrow.”
Yang PeiMin nodded, and only after watching him leave did she feel a sigh of relief.
Soon after, Zhang Minghua entered, “Yiguang is leaving, why didn’t you see him out?”
“I saw him out, all the way to the door.”
Zhang Minghua looked at her helplessly.