Chapter 22
Wei Jinzhi looked coldly at the male alpha before her, dressed in a crisp suit and arrogant beyond measure, and let out a scoff in her heart.
The male alpha crossed his arms over his chest. With a gloomy expression, he asked her, “Are we talking here?”
Although the residential area could not be considered crowded with people coming and going, people still passed by occasionally. Wei Jinzhi naturally did not want anyone to see. She lowered her eyes and said, “Let’s talk inside.”
The two of them kept a distance of roughly three or four meters, one in front and one behind, as they went in.
In the elevator, Wei Jinzhi stood in front. With her back to the man, she could clearly sense his anger.
After they entered her home, the man let out a cold laugh. His gaze swept around the place, and he asked with a contemptuous smile, “What? The house in Huaqing Manor is that uncomfortable to live in?”
“You just had to come to this broken place.”
Standing in front of him, Wei Jinzhi frowned in displeasure when she heard the man’s words. She ignored him, took off her coat, hung it on the rack, then lowered her head and found two pairs of slippers from the shoe cabinet. After changing into her own, she handed a pair to the male alpha. “Change your shoes.”
After saying that, she did not care whether he changed or not. She walked into the kitchen on her own, poured a glass of water and drank it, then sat down on the sofa and beckoned to the corgi in the corner, as if the person at the door did not exist.
The male alpha’s anger surged. He stared at Wei Jinzhi, did not change his shoes, and showed no intention of going inside.
“Wei Jinzhi, how long are you going to keep acting out?”
“Who was that alpha from a few days ago? Why were you fooling around with her?!”
“Do you know—”
“I know. So what do you want to do, President Song?”
The male alpha called President Song froze. He was very dissatisfied with this form of address. He tugged at his tie and shouted at her unhappily, “President Song? Is that what you call me?”
“What else? What should I call you? Song Haoyuan?” Wei Jinzhi’s voice also carried a trace of anger. She turned back to look at him, her gaze as cold as a blade.
Song Haoyuan’s foot, which had been about to step forward, paused. He was so angry his chest rose and fell, and his eyes toward Wei Jinzhi were full of disappointment.
Wei Jinzhi looked back at him. After a long standoff, she revealed a faint smile. Then her smile grew wider and wider, while her voice was so cold it made people shiver. “Song Haoyuan, can you get out?”
Song Haoyuan froze slightly and looked at Wei Jinzhi in disbelief. He was furious inside, but his voice still softened a little. “Do you not want Yuefeng’s investment for next quarter anymore?”
“Do as you like.” Wei Jinzhi turned her head away, not even willing to look at him. She picked up the dried chicken from beneath the coffee table and teased the little corgi.
In the end, Song Haoyuan still could not hold back his temper. He growled, “Wei Jinzhi, you really have grown wings now. Have you forgotten that I was able to make you the lofty Best Actress of the entertainment industry, and I can also make you leave it?”
“Yes, I forgot long ago. I forgot everything.”
“If you want to make me get out of the entertainment industry, then try it.” After feeding the little corgi, Wei Jinzhi took out a wet wipe and wiped her hands, speaking slowly and calmly.
Wei Jinzhi was no longer the same as she had been ten years ago. Song Haoyuan was naturally clear about that, but seeing her current appearance still made his anger surge. He snorted coldly and slammed the door as he left.
The door slammed extremely loudly, and Wei Jinzhi was so startled that she trembled.
The emotions she had been forcing herself to hold up collapsed completely in this instant. Her eyes swiftly reddened. She got up from the sofa and almost fled into the bathroom.
After locking the door, she slowly slid down along it, crouched down, and hugged herself tightly.
The little corgi outside the door did not understand its owner’s emotions. It still followed her to the door and scratched lightly at it twice with its little paws.
Hearing the sound, Wei Jinzhi knocked the door lightly in displeasure. Only when the sounds outside disappeared did she recklessly let the tears fall.
The enormous grievance seemed about to drown her. Afterward, she turned on the water and filled the bathtub, taking off her clothes piece by piece before soaking her entire body inside.
The warm water and tears could no longer be distinguished. Only after she could no longer cry did Wei Jinzhi emerge from the water.
Her soft curls were wet, clinging to her face, which was flushed red from lack of oxygen.
Wei Jinzhi’s grievance was gone. Instead, she smiled soundlessly. Then she stepped out of the bathtub, her bare body standing before the mirror as she examined herself from top to bottom. Afterward, she put on a bathrobe and walked out of the bathroom.
Her apartment was about one hundred fifty or sixty square meters. It could not be considered small, but it truly could not compare to the villa in Huaqing Manor.
But what could she do? Living in that villa made her feel oppressed and uncomfortable. It was far less comfortable than this place.
Wei Jinzhi walked barefoot to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and scanned it from top to bottom.
All day today, aside from half a serving of wontons in the morning, she had eaten nothing. Right now, she was very hungry, but no matter what she looked at, she did not want to eat it.
She closed the refrigerator door and walked to the wine cabinet instead, carefully choosing.
The wine cabinet contained a complete variety, and the bottles were also very beautiful. However, not many wines were suitable for Wei Jinzhi.
Because her alcohol tolerance was not good. But she liked collecting all kinds of wine, such as vodka, brandy…
But the most numerous were fruit wines. Those were Wei Jinzhi’s choice.
Yet after circling around today, there was nothing she wanted to drink.
In the end, she still returned to the bedroom and lay in bed with an empty stomach.
Her phone was by the pillow. In the darkness, it lit up every now and then, but Wei Jinzhi did not look at it at all. She closed her eyes and slept.
She was so tired.
………
Pei Suyuan and Zheng Yi arranged to meet in the afternoon a few days later, at the café beneath Zhongquan Building.
This place was not far from Chi Corporation, and Zheng Yi had come to Xijing to discuss a collaboration with Chi Corporation.
Zheng Yi arrived at the café first. He ordered an iced Americano for himself and a latte for Pei Suyuan.
He remembered that Pei Suyuan liked milk, so a latte was probably not wrong.
The two of them arrived one after another. Not long after the coffee was served, Pei Suyuan arrived.
It had been seven or eight years since she had last met Zheng Yi. Seeing him made Pei Suyuan somewhat uncomfortable.
Zheng Yi was not much better. After Pei Suyuan sat down, he said somewhat stiffly, “I remember you like milk. A latte should be fine, right?”
Pei Suyuan nodded. “It’s fine. Thank you.”
Toward Zheng Yi, aside from discomfort and unfamiliarity, she actually did not have too many feelings. Instead, it was Zheng Yi—
guilt, self-blame, discomfort, and unfamiliarity; he occupied every possible feeling he could.
Zheng Yi actually looked a lot like Zheng Xuncheng. Both had thick brows and large eyes, the tall and sturdy type. But Zheng Yi was young, and his clothes and styling were meticulous, making him look very elite.
And in reality, that was indeed the case. Zheng Yi had graduated from Xijing University’s architecture department. Now, with the company in his hands, it had already begun to transform. It was no longer only in the building materials business, but had shifted into real estate.
This time, he had come to Xijing to discuss cooperation with Chi Corporation and develop Lin City.
Pei Suyuan had heard Zheng Yi mention these things last time in Lin City. But back then, there had been many people around, and the two of them could still exchange a few sentences. Now that only the two of them remained, Pei Suyuan did not know how to start speaking, and Zheng Yi did not know what to say either.
After a long silence, Zheng Yi was still the one who spoke again. “I heard from my dad that you signed with a new company?”
Pei Suyuan nodded. “Mm. I signed with Yuefeng. I’ll have more work in the future.”
One sentence from one person, one from the other, and the atmosphere cooled again. Zheng Yi took a sip of coffee, removed his hand from the table, turned on his screen, opened his photo album, and showed Pei Suyuan photos of his daughter.
“This is Qiqi, my daughter…”
The little girl was still tiny, lying in her mother’s arms and sleeping soundly. Her eyelashes were very long, and her hands and feet were small.
The moment Pei Suyuan saw her, she subconsciously smiled.
She liked children, especially girls.
With this, even the topics between them increased. Seeing that she liked his daughter, Zheng Yi was also happy. Finally, the two of them could be considered to have chatted and laughed for a few sentences.
Later, Zheng Yi sent several photos of his daughter to Pei Suyuan. He told her that the next time she returned to Lin City, she should go to his house, meet her sister-in-law, and see the child.
After the topic of the child ended, the silence was not quite so severe. Once he had prepared himself enough, Zheng Yi also dared to speak.
“Xiao Yuan, everything that happened in the past was Cousin’s fault. You…” Zheng Yi paused. He wanted to tell her not to take it to heart, but no matter what, he could not say those words.
Pei Suyuan also turned her head to look out the window. A few seconds later, she said softly, “It’s fine. It’s all in the past.”
A simple “in the past” could not erase the hurt Zheng Yi had caused Pei Suyuan.
Zheng Yi truly felt terribly restless.
He was not much older than Pei Suyuan, only three years older. When the two of them were very young, they had actually played together pretty well. Back then, Pei Suyuan had called him “Cousin” with every sentence, and he had liked this small, soft younger sister too.
When had he started disliking Pei Suyuan?
Probably when he was about ten. Every time Pei Suyuan came over, he would be cold and indifferent, unwilling to even look at her more than once. He felt she was a wild child who had come to steal his parents from him.
And because he was older than Pei Suyuan and also a boy, his parents would always make him give way to and dote on Pei Suyuan.
If she was not his biological younger sister, why would he be willing?
The true explosion happened after he entered middle school. He was young and impulsive, rebellious and ignorant.
That year, he accidentally learned of Pei Jing’s existence.
Pei Jing was beautiful and lovely, and she relied extremely heavily on his father. Watching them always made him furious. He thought there was some unspeakable secret between the two of them.
Later, when they went to the amusement park, Pei Suyuan clamored to eat marshmallow. He wanted to eat it too, but there was only one. His father bought it for the younger Pei Suyuan. Using the marshmallow as an excuse, he vented his dissatisfaction and anger, giving Pei Suyuan all his malice.
“You and your mother are the same. You both like stealing other people’s things.”
“Your mom stole my dad, and now you want to steal everything around me too, don’t you? You’re just a bastard!”
For the next few years after that, he did not see Pei Suyuan again. It was not until the year Pei Suyuan got into university that he unwillingly went along with his parents to send Pei Suyuan to the train station, sending her away from Lin City.
It was also that time when he finally realized what he had done to that young girl.
While his parents had gone to buy something, Pei Suyuan looked at him with red eyes and said, “I did envy you a lot when I was young, but I never thought about stealing your parents. I have my own mother. I’m also my mother’s precious baby.”
From then on, it was not that he stopped disliking Pei Suyuan. It was that he avoided her out of guilt.
Only after his mother became paralyzed, and after he got married, had a child, and experienced many major life events, did many things begin to seem less important. Yet that guilt only grew heavier and heavier.
“Suyuan, I’m sorry.”
Zheng Yi, a man close to thirty, had reddened eyes as he apologized to Pei Suyuan again and again.
With the passing of time, the events of the past had actually faded quite a bit. To say Pei Suyuan had not felt hurt back then would be a lie, but she also did not blame Zheng Yi that much.
If their positions had been reversed, she could understand him too. After all, she really had been an intruder.
She had intruded into someone else’s family and occupied the affection that should have belonged to him.
“It’s fine. It really is all in the past, Cousin…”
At that one word, Cousin, Zheng Yi’s tears could no longer be held back. Facing Pei Suyuan, he burst into loud sobs.
……
Before leaving, Pei Suyuan took out the wedding gift she had prepared for Zheng Yi before, as well as the meeting gift for the child, and handed them to Zheng Yi.
Zheng Yi accepted the wedding gift, but he did not take the meeting gift.
“The next time you go back to Lin City, give it to your niece yourself.” Zheng Yi said it with a smile. Pei Suyuan also smiled along, then obediently put away the jade pendant and promised him that the next time she returned, she would bring it back with her.
The local specialties Zheng Xuncheng had prepared were in Zheng Yi’s car. When he drove Pei Suyuan home, he gave them to her as well.
“They’re all things you like. Ham and sauced beef… They have long shelf lives. Take them and eat them with Yan Xin.”
“Okay.”
After agreeing, Pei Suyuan invited Zheng Yi upstairs to sit for a while, but he still had a social engagement later and could only leave first. However, he said that the next time he came to Xijing, he would definitely visit properly.
The two of them smiled and chatted for a few more sentences. When Zheng Yi was about to leave, Pei Suyuan said she would see him off. But seeing that her hands were still holding all those things, Zheng Yi quickly told her to go back and that there was no need to see him off.
Pei Suyuan nodded, but she still watched his car drive out of the residential compound before turning back.
The second before she pressed the unit building’s door lock, Pei Suyuan remembered that half of these things belonged to Yan Xin, so she called her and told her to come over to pick them up.
She had not played with Yan Xin for too long, so for a moment, she forgot that this was precisely Yan Xin’s livestreaming time. The call had barely gone through before Yan Xin hung up. So Pei Suyuan went upstairs, put away her own share of the things, ordered takeout, sent Yan Xin a WeChat message, then headed toward Yan Xin’s place.
She had ordered fried chicken that Yan Xin liked, along with two servings of beef rice. Her estimate of the delivery time was about right. After going downstairs, she only waited a few minutes before the takeout arrived.
When she entered, Yan Xin was still livestreaming. However, when she saw Pei Suyuan come in and smelled the aroma of fried chicken and beef rice, she planned to end the stream early.
At the dining table, one of them drank beer while the other drank cola.
As they drank, Yan Xin actually smiled until her eyes narrowed. She leaned in front of Pei Suyuan and said mysteriously, “A streamer from the neighboring game wants to open a media company with me. I’m considering it.”
“You’re smiling like that, and you call that considering?” Pei Suyuan poked Yan Xin’s head where it leaned against her shoulder and said in disdain.
“Hehe, I knew I couldn’t hide it from you! A few days ago, I was still considering it, but today it’s been decided~”
When she talked about opening the company, Yan Xin gestured animatedly the whole time, talking about future development directions, signing artists, and so on.
Pei Suyuan smiled along with her.
After all, both of them were developing in a better direction. Of course it was something worth being happy about.
After finishing the topic of the company, they unknowingly began talking about the Spring Festival. Pei Suyuan knew that Yan Xin’s relationship with her parents was not very good. It was even extremely bad. After hesitating several times, she asked Yan Xin whether she would go home for the Spring Festival.
Yan Xin had nothing to hide in front of her and said openly, “Does that even count as my home? I’m not going back. I’ll spend the New Year in Xijing and team up with my fans all night.”
In name, Yan Xin’s parents were her adoptive parents, but in reality, they were her biological parents.
When she was three, she had been abandoned at the entrance of the orphanage. Zheng Xuncheng picked her up and raised her until she was twelve. Then Yan Xin’s parents took Yan Xin away under the name of adoption.
At first, Yan Xin had truly been happy, and Pei Suyuan had also been happy for her.
But a few years later, Pei Suyuan received a message from Yan Xin online, telling her that her adoptive parents were actually her biological parents. Her omega mother was actually a mistress. Later, after the mistress successfully took the wife’s place, she thought of taking Yan Xin back.
It was quite dramatic and melodramatic.
After Pei Suyuan learned of it, what she felt more than anything was shock and disbelief. She did not even know how to comfort Yan Xin.
She could not truly empathize.
Being able to speak with one’s parents was already an enormous happiness to her. Yan Xin’s situation made her feel very conflicted. She knew that what they had done was actually very hurtful, but on the other hand, she also felt that having parents by one’s side was good.
Because of that, over the years, whenever this matter was mentioned, she was always very careful. She was afraid that a single sentence she said might make Yan Xin unhappy, so she did not dare say too much.
It was the same now. As she ate hairy crab, she silently said, “Do whatever you think is best. If not, we’ll spend the New Year together this year.”
“You? Aren’t you going back to Lin City?”
The two of them knew each other thoroughly. Yan Xin knew all about Pei Jing, and also about Pei Suyuan’s relationship with Zheng Xuncheng’s family. After asking, she seemed to think of something and propped up her chin, saying somewhat sadly, “You decide too.”
Yan Xin was actually a little more optimistic than she was, but Pei Suyuan knew that optimism was only her protective color.
Talking about family matters annoyed Yan Xin. She drank more too, then sat dizzily and muddle-headedly beside Pei Suyuan, rambling beside her mouth.
One moment, she talked about her parents. The next, she mentioned her first love in university.
In the end, she actually began scolding Pei Suyuan.
“Pei Suyuan, do you have any idea how stupid you are!”
“I saw Sister Moon too, okay? Why didn’t I think she was as good as you said? Enough to make you never forget her for fifteen years!”
The two of them were not biological sisters and had no blood relation, but the deep bond between them still wound around them.
The orphanage could not always keep children like them fed and clothed without worry.
Zheng Xuncheng was her uncle, and also the director. At a time like that, it was impossible for him to openly favor her. She and Yan Xin had to snatch food from a group of children.
Although Yan Xin was half a year older than her, she had never developed as well as Pei Suyuan. She would always be squeezed into corners. Pei Suyuan would share some of what she managed to snatch with Yan Xin.
Yan Xin had actually always relied on her.
Pei Suyuan liked this reliance, and she was also willing to rely on Yan Xin.
Yan Xin’s scolding now was also because her heart ached for her.
And it was clingy and sticky too. Yan Xin lay on Pei Suyuan’s shoulder, her voice somewhat choked.
She was always like this when she got drunk. Pei Suyuan was used to it.
She could even recite her next sentence backward.
“Little Yuan’er, I’ve never seen anyone better than you. If I were an omega, I would definitely be with you wholeheartedly.”
After Yan Xin said that, Pei Suyuan silently filled in the rest for her in her heart: If I were a beta, I would definitely be with you too.
Sure enough, the moment she finished adding that in her heart, Yan Xin wrapped her arms fully around her and cried as she said, “If I were a beta, I would definitely be with you too!!!”
Pei Suyuan actually felt somewhat helpless, and also somewhat disgusted.
She pushed Yan Xin’s face away and said expressionlessly, “Who wants to be with you? I’d rather grow old alone than have you.”
“Wuwu, I want you…”
“Wuwu…”
“Get lost!” Pei Suyuan could not bear it anymore and laughed as she scolded her.
Yan Xin was not angry at all after being scolded. She even grinned mischievously and pulled at Pei Suyuan’s face like a child, saying, “Xiao Yuan, smile more. You look pretty that way.”
She was ridiculously drunk, without any clear logic, but she was always thinking of Pei Suyuan. In the end, she mumbled vaguely, “Xiao Yuan, you have to be happy. Lots of people will love you.”
“Xiao Xin, you have to be happy. Lots of people will love you.”
These two sentences were words the two of them had used to encourage each other as they grew up. Today, after seeing Zheng Yi, Pei Suyuan had remembered many things from childhood, and her heart had felt rather uncomfortable.
But now, after listening to Yan Xin’s words, she felt much better. Belatedly, she also realized that she had simply wanted to hide at Yan Xin’s place. Whether it was listening to Yan Xin ramble or watching her get completely drunk,
she only wanted Yan Xin to keep her company.
Yan Xin was making too much noise, so Pei Suyuan lowered her head and brushed aside the hair stuck to Yan Xin’s forehead. Yan Xin muttered impatiently, her mouth seeming to call someone’s name.
Then, with a whoosh, she sat up from beside Pei Suyuan, blinked, and tears—
The more she spoke toward the end, the drunker Yan Xin became. After saying this sentence, she lay back down on the sofa and mumbled unclearly, “Actually, that person who was playing games just now… I know who she is.”
“The one playing games? [Xin Baby, Revive Me]?”
Yan Xin nodded aggrievedly, then hugged Pei Suyuan and said viciously, “She’s a scumbag woman! A scumbag omega!”
“Wuwuwu… Xiao Yuan… she’s He Qinmian!”
Her appearance looked somewhat like she had given up entirely. Then she started rambling again, clinging to Pei Suyuan and talking to her. “Why is that scumbag woman so annoying? She knows I love money, so she keeps throwing money at me like crazy. Does she think that can heal my wounded heart?”
“Impossible! And she deliberately keeps running in front of me too. Once she gets knocked down, she acts all clingy and sticky!~”
The more Yan Xin spoke, the more upset she became. Tears smeared all over her face, and she kept rambling about He Qinmian’s crimes.
The more Pei Suyuan listened, the more familiar it sounded.
Wasn’t this the story of Yan Xin’s first love in university?
But this first love was a little different from campus romance. It could be considered an online relationship.
The two of them had met while gaming. Back then, what they played was still an online game, and the two of them were a couple in the game. Not long after that, they met in person.
The way Yan Xin had described that omega to her was—
pure and cute, sweet and charmingly innocent.
In any case, back then, whenever Yan Xin occasionally left messages for Pei Suyuan online, they were all about this person.
It was only later, after the two of them broke up, that she said she had been deceived in love. That omega had a fiancé.
Back then, Yan Xin had truly been badly hurt. Afterward, she refused to mention it again.
Pei Suyuan lowered her head and looked at Yan Xin’s foolish crying face, then sighed helplessly.
Every time, Yan Xin advised her like someone who had already moved on, telling her to let herself go. But in the end, the person who could never let go was Yan Xin herself.
After all, Sister Moon in Pei Suyuan’s heart was ultimately different from He Qinmian in Yan Xin’s heart.
Every time Yan Xin said it, it was not as if Pei Suyuan had never thought about it. Was she really going to spend her whole life holding onto an illusory, hopeless thought?
Not exactly. It was only that those feelings had lasted far too long, so long that Pei Suyuan had grown accustomed to missing her.
They were also too complicated. Just like when she was lonely and sad, she would think of Sister Moon, and then her whole body would feel warm and at ease.
But Yan Xin was right too. She could no longer remember what that person looked like.
And Sister Moon was only a nickname. She did not even know that person’s name.
What made her think of her again and again was merely a kind of emotional support.
The feeling she used to have when she thought of Sister Moon was also beginning to change, becoming clearer and more distinct.
It was no longer such desperate yearning, but a warmth she had grown used to.
She thought that she had already begun to walk out of it.
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