Volume One, Chapter 13: Disgrace

"When will you be done? I’ll come pick you up."

Song Qingyu received a message from Pei Jingmo just as she was talking to the class monitor about the game project. Song Qingyu was a prodigy in the computer science department, and the class monitor, who knew she was developing a game, admired her greatly.

"Leave it to me. But my brother is just the manager—whether the game ultimately gets launched depends on the president’s decision."

"I know, thank you, monitor."

The class monitor even gave Song Qingyu her contact information. Having achieved her goal, she was about to leave when Sheng Yuru blocked her path. "Campus belle, the midnight gathering has only just begun. Why are you in such a rush to leave? Don’t tell me you’re hurrying home to cook for your husband?"

Over the course of the meal, thanks to the loose tongues of Sheng Yuru and Zou Tingting, everyone had learned that Song Qingyu had married a laborer.

People sighed with disbelief. The campus belle of Capital University, who had chosen not to marry the affluent and influential Young Master Chu, her boyfriend of many years, had instead married a construction worker.

"Aren’t you all curious about what kind of exceptional worker managed to win over our campus belle?"

Some, concerned for Song Qingyu’s feelings, didn’t dare speak. Others, eager to curry favor with Sheng Yuru, chimed in right away, "We are curious. Why don’t you call him over so we can all meet him?"

"He’s very busy. He doesn’t have time to come."

"Oh, just a worker, acting like some overworked CEO. Or is he so ugly you don’t dare let him meet us?"

As soon as the words fell, the door to the private room opened.

Zou Tingting entered, leading a man.

"Everyone, the campus belle’s husband is here."

Song Qingyu looked up. It really was Pei Jingmo.

He got here so quickly?

Pei Jingmo, seeing her, walked straight over as if there was no one else in the room. "Qingqing, I came to pick you up. I didn’t know where you were, but I ran into one of your classmates who brought me in."

Qingqing?

Back at the Civil Affairs Bureau, when she’d had a hypoglycemic episode, she thought she’d heard him call her Qingqing, but had assumed she’d misheard. But now, it seemed he really did call her that.

No—this wasn’t the point.

The point was, with his sudden appearance, Sheng Yuru definitely wouldn’t let them off easily.

Everyone stared in stunned silence at Pei Jingmo. Wasn’t he supposed to be a construction worker? Aside from the short haircut, what about him looked like a laborer? He was better looking than a movie star and had a physique that put fitness trainers to shame. Those long legs looked like they could kick someone into outer space.

The boys present felt inferior; the girls nearly drooled.

Sheng Yuru narrowed her eyes at Pei Jingmo, fists clenched. Damn Song Qingyu—she could even find a worker husband this outstanding. Did the heavens love her too much?

Pei Jingmo glanced indifferently at Sheng Yuru, then smiled politely at everyone. "Hello, I’m Pei Jingmo. Thank you all for taking care of Qingqing during her time at school."

Sheng Yuru, unwilling to let things go, deliberately picked a fight. "Mr. Pei, Xiaoyu is our campus belle. You managed to marry her, and all you have is a casual thank you?"

Zou Tingting joined in. "That’s right. We’re all waiting to celebrate your wedding."

Sheng Yuru continued, "Speaking of celebration, it’s rare for us all to gather. Shouldn’t you open a bottle of wine for us, Mr. Pei?"

Seeing Song Qingyu’s displeasure, Sheng Yuru felt a surge of satisfaction. "If you can’t afford one for tens of thousands, surely a bottle for two or three thousand is manageable?"

Zou Tingting, playing the sycophant, added, "Oh dear, how many bricks would Mr. Pei have to lay to earn twenty thousand? Isn’t this a bit much for us to ask?"

People began murmuring among themselves.

"Our campus belle married him and he can’t even treat us to a bottle of wine? How useless."

"Yeah, Young Master Chu used to spend money on us like water."

Song Qingyu frowned, feeling there was no point in continuing the farce. She took Pei Jingmo’s hand, intending to leave. "Let’s go."

But Pei Jingmo smiled and stopped her. "Qingqing, your classmates are right. Being able to marry you is my good fortune. I should treat everyone to a celebration."

He asked the waiter to bring two bottles of wine.

Zou Tingting, seeing the bottles—ordinary-looking and clearly not expensive—snorted. "Isn’t this wine a bit too shabby?"

The waiter replied, "Miss, this bottle of vodka is two hundred thousand each."

Two hundred thousand per bottle, and Pei Jingmo had ordered two?

Song Qingyu stared at Pei Jingmo in disbelief, her eyes asking if he was out of his mind.

Pei Jingmo, amused by her look, leaned in and whispered, "Don’t worry."

A laborer could just casually order forty thousand worth of wine? Sheng Yuru refused to believe it.

"Isn’t it just a fake label? Open it and let’s see."

The waiter glanced at Pei Jingmo, who nodded, and opened the wine.

Sheng Yuru sniffed. It really was vodka.

"Miss, Food Fashion never sells counterfeit wine."

Sheng Yuru snorted. If the bottle wasn’t opened, it could be returned; once opened, it was non-refundable. Song Qingyu and her husband were just putting on a show—her heart must be bleeding.

Most people present, discerning right from wrong, looked disapprovingly at Sheng Yuru, feeling she’d gone too far this time.

Zou Tingting, holding a glass of wine, scurried over to Sheng Yuru. "Miss Sheng..."

Sheng Yuru angrily slapped the glass away. "Hmph, a bottle of wine worth two hundred thousand—I’d be afraid of getting sick if I drank it!"

Seeing Sheng Yuru about to leave, Song Qingyu blocked her path, holding a full glass. "Miss Sheng, you ordered the wine. Isn’t it a bit much to leave without drinking a single glass?"

Though Song Qingyu felt the pain of the money lost, since the wine was opened, she wasn’t about to let Sheng Yuru off so easily.

"And if I don’t drink?"

Song Qingyu smiled coolly. "If you don’t, of course we won’t force you. But if the head of the Gu family learns his niece ordered wine out and then refused to drink it because two hundred thousand was too cheap, who knows what he’ll think?"

Sheng Yuru’s mother and the head of the Gu family were half-siblings. Sheng Yuru was always boasting about her uncle and cousin, using their power to her advantage. Naturally, she wouldn’t dare embarrass the Gu family in public.

She gritted her teeth, then seemed to think of something and smiled. "Drinking alone is no fun. Song Qingyu, let me toast you—may you and your bricklayer husband have a lifetime of happiness and never part."

Song Qingyu raised her glass, meeting Sheng Yuru’s gaze with a cold smile. "Didn’t you want to drink at my wedding? This is my toast to you—after you finish, you can pour another and toast me."

Sheng Yuru’s face twisted in anger as she shot Zou Tingting a look.

Zou Tingting immediately understood and, playing the loyal sidekick, took the glass from Sheng Yuru. "Miss Sheng isn’t feeling well today, so I’ll drink this for her."

Song Qingyu neither agreed nor objected.

Trying to please Sheng Yuru, Zou Tingting downed the entire glass of vodka.

But Song Qingyu wasn’t about to let her off so easily. "Zou, according to custom, if you drink for someone else, you can’t just have one glass—you have to drink three."

Zou Tingting’s face turned green.

Song Qingyu refilled the glass. "Please."

Vodka was smooth and not harsh on the throat, but its alcohol content was high. After one glass, Zou Tingting was already dizzy and looked pleadingly at Sheng Yuru.

Sheng Yuru had no intention of helping.

Bracing herself, Zou Tingting drank another glass, but before finishing, she rushed to the restroom.

Sheng Yuru glared icily at Song Qingyu. Not only had she failed to embarrass her, she’d brought trouble on herself—a bitter pill to swallow. She cast a venomous look at Song Qingyu and Pei Jingmo. "Song Qingyu, I want to see how long you and your worker husband can last!"

"Save yourself the trouble!"

"Hmph..."

With that, Sheng Yuru stormed off. Song Qingyu glanced at Zou Tingting, who was retching violently in the restroom, and pulled Pei Jingmo out the door.

"How much money do you have left? I’ve got fifty thousand; I’ll borrow a little from Zheng Zheng, and maybe max out some credit cards..."