Volume 1, Chapter 144: Making Amends

Rumors spread faster than a rocket. Throughout the entire afternoon, no matter where Song Qingyu went, she was met with strange looks and whispers. Distracted by her own thoughts, she accidentally made a typo in her code, forcing her to start that section over from scratch.

Realizing she couldn't let things continue this way, she was just about to go find Gu Yuandong when the phone from the President's office rang. The President wanted to see her.

Standing outside the office door, Song Qingyu took a deep breath. Getting things cleared up was better than being misunderstood and dealing with awkward encounters later.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

Song Qingyu pushed the door open and heard the frantic clatter of a keyboard. The man hunched over his desk looked up at her, then set his work aside.

"P-President Gu..."

She had so much on her mind, but she didn't know how to start. She couldn't very well ask him directly if he liked her, could she? If he didn't, it would be mortifying.

Just as she was struggling, Pei Jingmo spoke first. "I've heard some rumors about us. How do you feel about this, Ms. Song?"

Song Qingyu hadn't expected him to bring up the very thing she was agonizing over so bluntly. Seeing his composed demeanor, she decided to be direct. "The company is saying that I am your 'white moonlight,' that you've always liked me. I wanted to ask what your take on this is."

Pei Jingmo looked at her quietly. He knew this situation had caused her trouble, which was exactly why he had called her here. Even though he liked her to the point of obsession, he had to deny it.

"The person I like... I've known her for over a decade. But I've only just met you, Song Qingyu. How could you be my 'white moonlight'?"

No rumor could be more persuasive than a denial from Gu Yuandong himself. Song Qingyu let out a sigh of relief, feeling a weight lifted from her shoulders.

"I knew it... haha, how could President Gu possibly like me?"

Pei Jingmo: "..."

His feelings were complicated. He couldn't help but ask, "If I said I liked you, what would you do?"

"Huh?"

The smile she had finally managed to summon froze. Her expression turned serious. "Then I would have to advise you to give up on that thought. I love my husband very much and will not separate from him."

Pei Jingmo was instantly soothed. He curled his lips into a faint smile. "I'm joking. Don't take it to heart, Ms. Song."

Song Qingyu: "...President Gu, please don't make jokes like that again. They aren't funny at all."

One should never fall into the trap of self-justification. The best way to deal with rumors is to ignore them and carry on with one's life. Song Qingyu continued to go to work as usual, and when she needed to report her progress, she did so without avoiding him. The honorable President Gu, naturally, cared even less about the opinions of others.

As time passed, seeing no hint of an intimate atmosphere between them, combined with the fact that Pei Jingmo began picking Song Qingyu up from the office every day, the rumors collapsed on their own.

Song Qingyu hadn't thought much about the idea of a husband picking up his wife from work before. But after a long day of toiling away like a workhorse, seeing Pei Jingmo’s handsome, rugged face the moment she stepped out of the building made all her exhaustion vanish.

"Jingmo!"

Pei Jingmo reached out to catch his wife as she ran toward him, leaning down to kiss her. "Are you exhausted?"

"I'm okay. Are we still going to look at the car today?"

"Yes, Fu Shao is already waiting."

Song Qingyu had just been thinking about buying a car when Pei Jingmo mentioned that Fu Linhan had too many and wanted to sell a few at a very low price. Song Qingyu assumed that even at a "low price," a car from Fu Linhan wouldn't be cheap. However, when Fu Linhan heard they were looking to buy, he immediately offered to give them one.

She couldn't just take it for free, but hearing that the price was negotiable, she decided to go with Pei Jingmo to take a look.

Chu Xingzhi loved cars and had several in his garage. Song Qingyu thought that was plenty, until she saw Fu Linhan’s garage. It was a two-story space packed to the brim with luxury vehicles. She did a rough count; there were at least thirty. He could drive a different one every day for a month. It was absurdly wealthy.

"Look around, pick whatever you want, just tell me which one you like..." As he spoke, he saw a Cullinan and coughed slightly. "Not that one."

Song Qingyu looked in the direction he pointed. She didn't know much about cars, but that one certainly didn't look cheap. In truth, it wasn't the most expensive one there; it was just a gift from Bai Yinian for his twenty-fifth birthday.

Noticing Pei Jingmo’s deep, inscrutable gaze, Fu Linhan pointed to another. "Not that one either." That one had been something he’d begged Pei Jingmo to let him have back when he first returned; it held too much sentimental value to sell.

Song Qingyu laughed awkwardly. "Fu Shao, we just want a commuter car, it doesn't need to be that expensive. Which one is the cheapest here?"

Pei Jingmo shot Fu Linhan a look. Fu Linhan pointed to a Maybach. "How about that one?"

"How much is it?"

Fu Linhan thought for a moment. "One..." He was going to say one million, but meeting Pei Jingmo’s warning glare, he said through tears, "One hundred thousand."

Song Qingyu was surprised. "One hundred thousand? Really?"

Fu Linhan’s heart was bleeding. "Yeah. I have my eye on some sports cars and want to buy them. Think of it as doing me a favor and clearing out my garage."

Pei Jingmo smiled at Song Qingyu. "Do you like it?"

Song Qingyu nodded happily. "I do."

"Want to take it for a test drive?"

"Okay."

Pei Jingmo personally opened the door for her and fastened her seatbelt. Song Qingyu drove the car out of the garage and circled the villa.

Once the car was out of sight, Fu Linhan huffed. "Hmph, you’re the one trying to make your wife happy—why am I the one suffering?"

"How are things with Xiang Xinlei?"

Fu Linhan: "..."

If Pei Jingmo hadn't asked, he would have almost forgotten she existed. He had been so infuriated by Bai Yinian lately that he hadn't had the energy to worry about anyone else. Still, he didn't want to look weak in front of his best friend. "It's going well. Why?"

"Xiang Xinlei isn't right for you. Don't waste your time."

"Hmph, why isn't she right? I feel like we're a match made in heaven." Fu Linhan leaned toward Pei Jingmo. "I'm curious, though. Xiang Xinlei has never offended you, so why do you dislike her?"

Pei Jingmo gave him a cool, sidelong glance. "Have you never wondered why someone like Xiang Xinlei, who is desperate to marry into wealth, has kept you on a string for so long?"

"It means she's modest and not a casual woman."

"Tsk..." Pei Jingmo really wanted to crack open Fu Linhan’s skull to see what was inside. And to think he called himself a "Prince of Romance." "If you have nothing better to do, stop buying so many cars and take a class on emotional maturity."

Fu Linhan: "..."

Song Qingyu drove back, and Pei Jingmo’s expression shifted instantly, transforming from the untouchable young master into a reliable, honest husband. He walked over, opened the door, and lifted Song Qingyu out of the car. "How was it?"

Song Qingyu was excited. "It's perfect. It's great in every way."

Fu Linhan watched Pei Jingmo, who changed expressions faster than turning a page, and rolled his eyes in silence. A two-million-plus Maybach, swindled away for a mere hundred thousand. He didn't feel much heartache over the money, but he was sick of being force-fed their romance.

Pei Jingmo had a beautiful wife in his arms and had practically become a new person out of happiness. Bai Yinian had come out to his family and had no shortage of company. And here he was, the only single guy left.

Fu Linhan called Xiang Xinlei and asked her out for dinner. When she saw him, she began to cry and complain about how Lu Rongrong was targeting her. "I don't know how I offended Ms. Lu, but she's been making things difficult for me lately."

In the past, Fu Linhan would have defended her, perhaps even gone to settle the score with Lu Rongrong. But this time, he suddenly felt bored.

Glancing around, he saw Bai Yinian and a few others enter the restaurant, seemingly for a business meeting. The others were older men, but beside Bai Yinian, apart from his secretary, was a handsome, delicate-looking man. That man was sitting very close to Bai Yinian, practically clinging to him.

Fu Linhan’s already sour mood darkened further. With a cold face, he stood up and walked toward them.