Volume One, Chapter 27: Gay

Pei Jingmo was rather annoyed.

As soon as they entered the banquet hall, Gu Fengjiao began chattering incessantly in his ear. She claimed she was helping him get acquainted with the heirs and heiresses of various prominent families, but in truth, she was matchmaking him at every turn.

Standing on the second floor, he could take in the entire scene unfolding in the grand hall below.

The moment Song Qingyu stepped through the doors, Pei Jingmo had already noticed her. She was wearing the dress and shoes he had picked for her, so beautiful that he almost regretted it. Her beauty always stirred his possessiveness, making him want to hide her away from the world.

"Yuandong, that young lady over there is Jiang Zhinian, Mu Bei’s fiancée. After Mu Bei’s accident, she has been a frequent companion at his hospital bedside—truly devoted, though who knows when Mu Bei will wake up again. If he never—"

Pei Jingmo shot her a frosty glance, and she stopped herself just in time. "Nonsense, nonsense, I spoke out of turn. Mu Bei is blessed, he’ll wake soon, I’m sure of it."

Pei Jingmo watched Jiang Zhinian chatting amicably with another family’s heir, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smile. An emotionless arranged marriage—where would such devotion come from?

"Look by the entrance, that’s Lu Rongrong, the Lu family’s heiress. She excels in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, speaks eight languages, and once served as a translator for the United Nations. Your father wants you to get to know her."

All these so-called heiresses meant nothing to Pei Jingmo; his eyes saw only his young wife, Song Qingyu.

"Aunt, you don’t need to concern yourself with my marriage. Rather than wasting your time on me, why not focus on your own daughter?"

Gu Fengjiao hadn’t expected Yuandong to show such interest in Yurou. Her eyes flickered with calculation. "Yuandong, the eldest son of the Fu family, Fu Linhan, is your close friend. You must know him well. What do you think about Yurou and him?"

Ha—

Now she was setting her sights on his friends.

"Not much to think about. Fu Linhan only likes married women. If my cousin wishes to marry him, she’ll need to find someone to marry first."

Gu Fengjiao was momentarily speechless.

"What about the youngest son of the Bai family—"

"Bai Yinian is gay, unless you want your daughter to be a beard."

Gu Fengjiao’s face turned green with frustration. No wonder they were all cut from the same cloth—Yuandong was a piece of work, and none of his close friends were normal, either.

Seeing Sheng Yurou leaving with Chu Xingzhi, Pei Jingmo’s lips curled up. "I think that young master from the Chu family would suit my cousin quite well."

Gu Fengjiao followed his gaze, her expression turning sour. The Chu family was decent, but compared to the Pei, Fu, Bai, and Han families, they were still a step below. More importantly, rumors of Chu Xingzhi’s recent affair had been the talk of their circle—she would never allow her only precious daughter to marry such a man.

—

The moment Chu Xingzhi entered the banquet hall, he overheard Sheng Yurou telling someone that Song Qingyu was working as a janitor at the Tianqi Group.

He pulled Sheng Yurou aside, frowning. "You said Qingyu is working as a janitor at Tianqi Group? What’s going on?"

Sheng Yurou’s face darkened immediately; jealousy flared in her heart at the realization that Chu Xingzhi still cared about Song Qingyu. "You two have already broken up. Why do you still care about her?"

"Tell me!"

"Hmph, what else could it be? It’s just as you heard—Song Qingyu has fallen so low she’s a janitor now."

Chu Xingzhi’s face turned ashen, his voice barely a whisper. "How could this be?"

Back then, he had withdrawn his investment in Dream Builder and even joined Song Yanfeng in pressuring her, all in hopes she would change her mind and come back to him.

Yet she’d rather work as a janitor than forgive him.

Seeing him about to leave, Sheng Yurou angrily blocked his way. "Hey, don’t you have anything to say to me?"

"Thank you for the invitation."

He had given the two invitations the old lady gave him to Xie Liuzheng and Song Qingyu; it was only thanks to Sheng Yurou’s help that he had managed to get in himself.

"That’s all you have to say?"

"I’ll treat you to dinner another day."

Sheng Yurou was deeply dissatisfied, especially with how he treated her. Suddenly, she spoke up, "Chu Xingzhi, be with me."

"What?"

"You know very well I like you, and I’m the Pei family’s niece. If you’re with me, you’ll have a connection with the Pei family."

Chu Xingzhi frowned, about to reply, but Sheng Yurou didn’t give him the chance. "You’re not still clinging to the hope of getting back with Song Qingyu, are you? Don’t forget, she’s already married."

The thing Chu Xingzhi hated hearing most now was any mention of Song Qingyu’s marriage. His face clouded. "Qingyu and that worker are in a fake marriage. She loves me, I love her, and I’ll never give up on her!"

He turned to leave. Watching his retreating figure, Sheng Yurou stamped her foot in rage.

Damn Song Qingyu!

What kind of enchantment did she cast to make Chu Xingzhi so devoted to her?

"Achoo—"

As Song Qingyu stepped out of the restroom, she sneezed involuntarily.

Who was cursing her?

"Qingyu…"

Chu Xingzhi’s cautious voice sounded from behind her.

Song Qingyu truly hadn’t expected to run into him here. He looked unwell—pale and visibly thinner.

But that was no longer her concern.

"Do you need something?"

Chu Xingzhi had a thousand things to say, but when he saw her and met those indifferent eyes, every word stuck in his throat.

The tension made his throat ache and his heart twist painfully.

When he said nothing, Song Qingyu simply turned to leave.

"Qingyu…" In his desperation, Chu Xingzhi grabbed her arm. "Wait, I have something to say."

Song Qingyu shook off his hand, looking at him calmly. "If you have something to say, say it quickly. Liuzheng is still waiting for me."

"I heard from Sheng Yurou that you’re working as a janitor at Tianqi Group."

Song Qingyu: …

Sheng Yurou must have been out of her mind, assuming she was a janitor just because she saw her with a mop.

And Chu Xingzhi was even more foolish for believing it.

"I’m sorry. I didn’t know things would turn out like this. I never meant to force you."

The thought of Song Qingyu doing such menial, exhausting work for money pained Chu Xingzhi more than anything.

He grew agitated. "I can reinvest in Dream Builder, make sure it launches successfully on our wedding day—"

"No need."

Song Qingyu refused him coolly. "I don’t want anything more to do with you. Please don’t appear before me again."

Seeing she was about to leave, Chu Xingzhi grabbed her arm once more, but before he could speak, she was already icy.

"Tonight is the Pei family heir’s banquet. Do you want to make a scene?"

At that, Chu Xingzhi could only let her go.

All his words melted down to a single phrase: "I’m sorry."

Song Qingyu was tired of hearing those words. She felt no nostalgia, and left without a backward glance.

Still, she couldn’t deny that Chu Xingzhi’s appearance had unsettled her mood.

Her bracelet suddenly slipped from her wrist and fell to the ground. Just as she bent down to pick it up, someone beat her to it—

The first thing she saw was a pair of handmade black leather shoes. Following the line of those long, impeccably shaped legs, she looked up to see a tall, well-built man.