Pei Yansi’s expression changed suddenly.
Even the small space inside the car felt like it became suffocating in an instant, as if the silence itself was oppressing Chen Lingmeng like a massive boulder upon her.
Chen Lingmeng felt threatened, blinking in disbelief. Had she mentioned some sensitive topic just now?
She and Pei Yansi had merely been discussing her favorite dress colors.
Yet, in that moment, she could distinctly feel her heart pounding fiercely as if sensing impending danger.
Pei Yansi was eager to know the answer, furrowing his brows to remind Chen Lingmeng.
Chen Lingmeng opened her mouth, ready to speak when the vibrating ring of her phone broke her train of thought.
She pulled out her phone and saw that it was a call from Chen Wenzhou.
"Brother Yan Si, I need to take this call."
Chen Lingmeng answered the phone and held it to her ear, "Bro, what is it?"
"Did Pei Yansi mention anything strange to you?"
After Chen Lingmeng had left with Pei Yansi, Chen Wenzhou grew increasingly uneasy; being the adopted son of the Chen Family, he had grown up observing minute changes in expressions and was adept at reading faces.
"Nothing," Chen Lingmeng shook her head.
But Chen Wenzhou on the other end was not fully relieved; he was slightly reassured, yet he still cautioned her before hanging up.
"Be careful, if he mentions the car accident you were involved in before, be very cautious and don’t say anything you shouldn’t."
"Pei Yansi is a very sharp person; once you disclose anything to him, he’ll latch onto it like a lion on its prey and never let go."
Chen Wenzhou’s words weighed on Chen Lingmeng like a stone.
Chen Lingmeng blindly turned her head, looking at the calm-faced Pei Yansi, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy.
Chen Wenzhou repeatedly reminded her, "It’s not enough to just know this; you must firmly remember it. Remember you were wearing a Klein Blue dress the day of the accident, you fainted from the impact and woke up in the hospital. Don’t say a single word more about anything else."
Chen Lingmeng’s heart skipped a beat; Pei Yansi had just mentioned whether she liked blue dresses.
She was about to tell Pei Yansi that she didn’t like that color because it made her skin look yellow.
Chen Wenzhou’s call was timely, but did Pei Yansi really become suspicious?
Chen Lingmeng nervously bit her lip.
Suddenly, her mind became a tangled mess, fear silently crawling up her spine, her scalp tingling slightly.
"Are you done talking?" Pei Yansi had been waiting by her side for a long time.
His words snapped Chen Lingmeng back to reality; only then did she realize the call had been hung up for a long time, but she hadn’t noticed.
Chen Lingmeng, in a panic, stuffed her phone back into her bag, her face unnaturally nodding.
"What did you just talk about?"
Pei Yansi saw who had called her, and they could hear what the person on the other end was saying, but he saw everything clearly.
During the phone call, Chen Lingmeng’s expression had notably changed, even showing a hint of panic and fear.
What exactly did Chen Wenzhou say to her that made her look like that, like a deer caught by a cheetah?
"Ah?" Chen Lingmeng quickly shook her head.
"My brother didn’t say anything to me."
Pei Yansi sharply sensed that something was amiss. He frowned, unwilling to overlook the abnormality displayed by Chen Lingmeng, "But you look pale. Did something happen?"
"Can we reschedule our trip to the mall if something happened?"
Chen Lingmeng bit her lips, swallowed hard in fear, and her body trembled slightly.
She still tried to muster her spirits and gave Pei Yansi a forced smile, hoping to alleviate his suspicions.
"My brother just told me to pay attention to some things for our first date outside. You’re a busy man, sparing time from your hectic schedule to go out with me. I must cherish this opportunity."
Those were clearly clichéd words.
In an instant, Pei Yansi’s gaze tightened on her, like a hunter zeroing in on his prey.
"Really?" Pei Yansi clearly didn’t believe her wording.
Her lying appearance was especially easy to discern. He saw through it at a glance.
Chen Lingmeng, frightened, lowered her head. She didn’t even have the courage to meet Pei Yan’s gaze, "Of course, Brother Yan Si, why would you doubt me? There’s nothing worth lying to you about."
"I hate those who deceive me the most, no matter big or small. You’d better tell me the truth. If I find out myself, the consequences will be severe," Pei Yansi directly warned Chen Lingmeng.
His words indeed had an effect.
On hearing this, Chen Lingmeng almost bit her lip until it bled.
Pei Yansi saw her shivering all over.
"What’s wrong?" Pei Yansi was still waiting for her to tell him the truth.
Suddenly, Chen Lingmeng looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, giving off a pitiful look as if abused by Pei Yansi.
With teary eyes, she couldn’t help but burst out, "Brother Yan Si, why must you press me ? It was just a normal phone call with my brother, but you’re interrogating me as if I’ve committed some heinous crime."
"You don’t know how happy I was today when you asked me out to shop at the mall, but why are you treating me ?"
Her tears fell uncontrollably like beads off a broken string.
Pei Yansi frowned. He disliked seeing women cry in front of him.
No, to be exact, he just disliked any woman other than Shen Heyu weeping in front of him.
A trace of irritation flashed in Pei Yansi’s eyes as he turned his head away quietly and took a deep breath.
"I was just concerned, seeing you look unwell, that something might have happened."
"Really?" Chen Lingmeng suddenly paused, the tears halting at the corners of her eyes.
"If you don’t want to go to the mall, I can take you back right now." After all, Pei Yansi had asked her out today just to confirm something.
"Don’t!" Chen Lingmeng hastily stopped him, worried the driver might really turn around.
"I won’t cry anymore, and I really want to go shopping with Brother Pei Yansi," Chen Lingmeng raised her hand, hurriedly wiping the tears off her face.
The nagging finally ceased.
Pei Yansi turned his head back, reevaluating the woman in front of him whose acting had no flaws, "You haven’t answered my earlier question."
"What about Klein Blue? Do you hate it too?"
Chen Lingmeng paused in wiping her tears, lifting her incredulous eyes towards Pei Yansi.
Then she bit her lower lip and answered word by word, "I hate it."
Pei Yansi’s eyes darkened in an instant.