"Little Yining, you say we haven’t seen each other in half a year, so don’t be so sarcastic, okay? Have I offended you in any way?" Cheng Hao racked his brain but it seemed he hadn’t done anything to offend the young lady.
Cheng Hao looked at Pei Yining with a beaming smile and said, "Little Yining, your arrival makes us feel like the sun is shining brighter, and it lifts our spirits. We’re so happy to have you here!"
Cheng Hao clapped enthusiastically, and a round of applause echoed through the room.
Looking at his smile, Pei Yining found it as dazzling now as it used to seem pleasant. That day, when he was with that other woman, his laughter had been even happier, even more joyful.
Pei Yining forced a smile and said, "Cheng Hao, I am going back tomorrow."
Cheng Hao instantly felt awkward but, having a thick skin, he quickly replied, "Little Yining, since you’ve come all this way, why not stay a bit longer?"
Pei Yining looked down at her foreign language book and didn’t answer Cheng Hao’s question.
"Little Yining, have I offended you somehow?" Cheng Hao asked with a puzzled face. He had only just seen her; could it be because he didn’t bring a gift?
Cheng Hao said cheerfully, "How about I take you to the city tomorrow for a stroll? Whatever you like, I’ll buy it for you."
In response, Pei Yining stood up abruptly and turned to head back to her room.
"Hey..." Cheng Hao watched Pei Yining’s retreating figure, baffled for a long time. How exactly had he managed to offend this girl?
When she was in a good mood, it was "Brother Cheng Hao" this and "Brother Cheng Hao" that. When she was not, it was just "Cheng Hao, Cheng Hao" all the time.
He was willing to buy her a gift, so why wasn’t that making her happy?
"Ling Dong, what do you think is wrong with Little Yining? I don’t think I’ve offended her, have I?" Cheng Hao grabbed Ling Dong, who had just entered the door, and asked him.
Ling Dong chuckled and said, "I don’t know."
Even if he knew, he wouldn’t tell you.
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Pei Yining took a car back to Ningbei, coincidentally Cheng Hao was delivering goods by driving there as well.
"Little Yining, how about I buy you a gift?" Cheng Hao felt utterly perplexed; he had somehow become the target of Little Yining’s hostility.
"No need, my brother gave me quite a few things. I also have the smoked meat and sausages from Nianhua, along with some chili sauce and such. I’ll take them home for Dad and Aunt Wan to try," said Pei Yining, sitting in the car and looking at the landscape receding behind her. She couldn’t help but ask, "I heard you’ve found a music teacher?"
"You know about Yaru too?"
When Cheng Hao mentioned Zou Yaru, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, his eyes filled with a doting smile as he said, "Yaru is a music teacher, the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen. Meeting her has been really..." blissful.
He hadn’t finished speaking when he turned and discovered that Pei Yining had fallen asleep with her eyes closed.
Cheng Hao swallowed all the praises he had for Zou Yaru; he and Yaru were in the sweetest phase of their relationship, wishing to declare their joy to the world, eager to share their happiness.
For the rest of the journey, Pei Yining didn’t say a word until she boarded the train, and she didn’t speak to Cheng Hao again.
"Little Yining, be careful on the train, okay?"
"The food is all in the bag; take whatever you want to eat."
"Let Xiaowu stick close to you, never leave your side, and don’t go anywhere alone. Safety first."
Cheng Hao repeatedly reminded her and also instructed Xiaowu, who was escorting Pei Yining back, to take good care of her. The trains nowadays were not at all safe, especially for someone as beautiful and seemingly affluent as Pei Yining.
Xiaowu was skilled at defending; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been sent by Uncle Pei to protect Pei Yining. But he would not skimp on warnings that needed to be given; after all, she was Cheng Hao’s dear sister.