Pei Yicheng watched her enter the house before turning around to leave, his eyes shifting from softness to cold harshness instantly.
After returning to the hotel, he went straight to Ling Dong, planning to thoroughly investigate Gu Junhe. If Xu Nianhua hadn’t been there, he might have been more magnanimous and not minded, considering it a practice run.
But, specifically because Xu Nianhua was present when he acted, no one could blame him for giving Gu a taste of his own medicine.
That very night, Pei Yicheng met with Ling Dong, wanting to have someone inquire about Gu Junhe’s affairs.
"Nianhua, you’re finally back."
Ji Shan kept looking outside, and when he saw Xu Nianhua return, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I was really worried you wouldn’t find your way back."
"Little uncle, I’m sorry, I met a friend and had dinner with them before I came back." Xu Nianhua apologized. Although she had mentioned she might not return for dinner, now it was eight o’clock, and it had just gotten dark since it was summer.
"No problem, I was worried you couldn’t find your way in the city, but it’s good you’re back." Ji Shan felt relieved knowing she was safe, and said, "Your grandfather was waiting for you right after he finished his dinner."
"I’ll go see Grandpa."
Xu Nianhua hurried inside, where her grandfather was sitting on a chair.
"Grandpa, sorry, I met a friend," Xu Nianhua explained.
"It’s good to have friends, come see Grandpa more often in the future," Ji Xinghua observed his granddaughter, feeling proud of how excellent she seemed and said, "Your aunt has made up your bed already, you should take a bath and go to sleep early."
"No, I’ll stay and chat with Grandpa instead."
Xu Nianhua liked listening to Ji Xinghua’s stories about the old days. The harder those times were, the more precious the present days seemed.
She stayed with her grandfather until she became tired, then Xu Nianhua took a bath and went to sleep, staying in Ji Shuyuan’s room. Ji Shuyuan, not sure whether he was busy or what, had been constantly at Ji Shuming’s house lately, squeezing into a room with Ji Shuming’s seven-year-old son.
The unfamiliar room, the unfamiliar bed, the unfamiliar scent, even though Xu Nianhua had slept there a few nights, she still felt uneasy.
She closed her eyes, and the scene from last night, with Pei Yicheng’s tall figure standing in front of her, made her feel particularly secure, her heart racing even now as she thought about it.
Xu Nianhua, oh Xu Nianhua, he’s just a twenty-four-year-old young man, you really shouldn’t be having these wild thoughts; it’s inappropriate.
At the river’s head of Yunyang in the night, I bid my guest farewell among the autumn’s maple leaves and reeds. The host dismounts while the guest stays aboard, raising our cups intending to drink, yet without musical accompaniment...
Slowly immersing her mind into the ancient poetry calmed the restless heart in her chest. Gradually settling, she drifted into a fitful sleep.
"Wasn’t my brother spectacular playing the hero last night, wasn’t it especially moving?" Pei Yining, knowing what had happened the previous evening, couldn’t hide the blazing gossip in her eyes.
It wasn’t for nothing that she had tried so hard to matchmake yesterday.
"Your brother was amazing, I’m really thankful to him," Xu Nianhua replied, then added, "His future wife will be lucky, definitely feeling very secure."
That wasn’t what she meant.
Meanwhile, Pei Yicheng and Ling Dong had inquired a lot but didn’t find anything significant about Gu Junhe. Realizing that they were short of reliable people, he fell silent for a long while before saying, "Ling Dong, this is what we’ll do; take some money, cultivate more of our own people, so next time we face an issue, we won’t be so passive."